The Road of Lost Innocence by Somaly Mam

This is a heart-rending account of Somaly Mam, who was presumably orphaned (or at least lived as one) in the forests of Cambodia. It is a must read for every person of every gender who want to know how deep the roots of sex slavery, prostitution and human trafficking go into our society. The fact that she completed this book no matter what it cost her to go down the memory lane is what makes this even more commendable. One can feel the pain Mam was feeling, see the horrors that she was encountering from her past while writing this book. In many ways it is not the writing or even the content of the book that will draw the reader in it is the brutally honest way that the story is written that will leave a lasting impression. This book shows Mam's strength as a human being and her story is one that deserves to be told. It has made it easier for me to empathize with the horrors described in the book. In many ways the story of the little Cambodian girls sold by their very own parents, owned like commodities by different people in different points in their lives, I find those stories similar to the untold stories of little Nepalese girls in the forgotten villages of my country. I feel lucky, extremely lucky, because I know had I lived the life she has I would have been completely broken and not able to stand up for righteousness like she has. With every page I felt Somaly Mam's struggle with the prostitution that was a big part of her past and how the very same past has propelled her forward. This book is honest, brutally, painfully honest and that is really why it can make a difference. Her memoir will leave you awestruck by her tenacity and courage and will renew your faith in the power of an individual to bring about change. She has orchestrated raids on brothels and rescued sex workers, some as young as five and six she has built shelters, started schools, and founded an organization that has so far saved more than four thousand women and children in Cambodia, Thailand, Vietnam, and Laos. Written in exquisite, spare, unflinching prose, The Road of Lost Innocence recounts the experiences of her early life and tells the story of her awakening as an activist and her harrowing and brave fight against the powerful and corrupt forces that steal the lives of these girls. Emboldened by her newfound freedom, education, and security, Somaly blossomed but remained haunted by the girls in the brothels she left behind. Trapped in this dangerous and desperate world, she suffered the brutality and horrors of human trafficking-rape, torture, deprivation-until she managed to escape with the help of a French aid worker. For the next decade she was shuttled through the brothels that make up the sprawling sex trade of Southeast Asia. Born in a village deep in the Cambodian forest, Somaly Mam was sold into sexual slavery by her grandfather when she was twelve years old.

The Road of Lost Innocence by Somaly Mam