My travel companion today was Sold by Patricia McCormick. If my recollection is correct, this book came to my library as a lend from GBC Kaye. I will be honest in that I selected this read today because it was compact, easy to carry, and relatively short. I was fortunate in that I had a little over two hours of uninterrupted time in which to read; I recommend that if you choose this selection you do the same and try to read in one sitting.
At first glance, I thought I had selected a book of poetry as each heading had not more than two pages of reading after it. The writing is closer to small journal entries describing various events, memories, and feelings of young Lakshmi in her journey. (Journey is perhaps not the correct word, as it might imply that she knows exactly where she is headed.) Lakshmi is from a small village in Nepal and her life takes an unexpected turn when monsoon rains combined with her step-father’s gambling habit lead to her sale. While Lakshmi believes she is going to work as a maid in the city to support her family, the reader knows otherwise from a simple glance of the book’s back cover. (I will let you discover this detail just as I did.)
Lakshmi, a name typically associated with Hindu prosperity, is in anything but a prosperous state of affairs. Her time spent with Mumtaz was painful and I wondered if her story could have more than one outcome. This book is a reminder of our good fortune and our obligation to help others.
No comments:
Post a Comment