Trafficked

 

By: Sophie Hayes

Source: Netgalley

When Sophie Hayes met Bledi she knew he’d change her life – but she had no idea how much. At first, it was a typical whirlwind romance. But one day Bledi told her that love always comes at a price …

Bledi tricked Sophie into travelling to Italy, where he forced her to sell her body to help him pay off a debt. Terrified and ashamed, Sophie worked the dangerous Italian streets without rest, seeing as many as 30 clients in a night. She was completely at Bledi′s mercy for food, clothes and shelter. And without money, friends or family, she was trapped.

But Sophie found the strength to keep going, clinging to life by a single thread of hope: that somehow she′d find a way to escape.

Review:

I found this book difficult to read. Not only because Sophie Hayes is not exactly an author, and some parts were a bit all over the place, but because it is real. To know that events like these happen in this world sends chills down my spine. I know this book is nonfiction but it was hard to actually connect with the author. Which is not totally fair to say, but I honestly couldn’t. The choices that had been made were her own. For someone with her childhood, it made sense.  But this book was a bit repetitive. I understand the telling of the whole story, but some parts dragged on a bit longer than I think they should have. In the end, I am glad to know that she had escaped that life. She is truly an inspiration.

Overall, this book should be an eye opener. Not only for girls or women, but for men to. It could happen to anyone. I would recommend this book only to shed light on a very real ‘industry’ in this world. But, don’t expect an amazingly, well written book.

Rating: 3/5

Tolstoy and the Purple Chair

By: Nina Sankovitch

Nina Sankovitch has always been a reader. As a child, she discovered that a trip to the local bookmobile with her sisters was more exhilarating than a ride at the carnival. Books were the glue that held her immigrant family together. When Nina’s eldest sister died at the age of forty-six, Nina turned to books for comfort, escape, and introspection. In her beloved purple chair, she rediscovered the magic of such writers as Toni Morrison, Nathaniel Hawthorne, Ian McEwan, Edith Wharton, and, of course, Leo Tolstoy. Through the connections Nina made with books and authors (and even other readers), her life changed profoundly, and in unexpected ways. Reading, it turns out, can be the ultimate therapy.
Tolstoy and the Purple Chair also tells the story of the Sankovitch family: Nina’s father, who barely escaped death in Belarus during World War II; her four rambunctious children, who offer up their own book recommendations while helping out with the cooking and cleaning; and Anne-Marie, her oldest sister and idol, with whom Nina shared the pleasure of books, even in her last moments of life. In our lightning-paced culture that encourages us to seek more, bigger, and better things, Nina’s daring journey shows how we can deepen the quality of our everyday lives–if we only find the time.

Review: Who wouldn’t want to read about someone who dedicates a year to reading books? But unfortunately, I just could not connect whatsoever. I truly wanted to love this book! I understood about the hardships the author was going through, but it lacked depth. I feel as if the book grazed the surface on the true feelings of the author. On another note, it seems forced. As if the books weren’t being read because she enjoyed it, but felt as if she HAD to. It took the fun out of reading.

In the end, this book felt like an essay. I felt like I was reading a college psychology paper that just went on and on. Loved the idea of the book, but the execution was poor. There was no depth to the feelings and I just could not relate.

Rating:  2/5