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justicepirate's review against another edition
3.0
Anna grew up in Romania with her famous grandmother who was a classy singer. After her grandmother died, she went to live with her mom and her mom's husband. When an opportunity comes up for her to go to England, she takes it. She wants to go to school there and begins her own cleaning business.
While living in a place filled with other Romanians, she is warned about a group of people who live there. She keeps to herself, but they snatch her off the streets while she is walking. They threaten her and force her (not without quite a fight) to be sold for sex.
This whole book is filled with depths of the torments that one goes through while in captivity and forced into a daily life of rape and constant physical and sexual abuse. Anna was sold within a brothel in London and various brothels throughout Ireland. It is only through a miracle that she was able to escape her captors after several months.
While this whole book was really well written (though there were a few things editors missed), reading it was hard. I have read dozens of books about human trafficking with several rape accounts over the past 12 years (definitely read about 100 or more now), but after this one, I need a long break. It was too much. It is horrific what she went through and to learn about some of the after effects from her abuse too. I couldn't take it.
3.5 stars
While living in a place filled with other Romanians, she is warned about a group of people who live there. She keeps to herself, but they snatch her off the streets while she is walking. They threaten her and force her (not without quite a fight) to be sold for sex.
This whole book is filled with depths of the torments that one goes through while in captivity and forced into a daily life of rape and constant physical and sexual abuse. Anna was sold within a brothel in London and various brothels throughout Ireland. It is only through a miracle that she was able to escape her captors after several months.
While this whole book was really well written (though there were a few things editors missed), reading it was hard. I have read dozens of books about human trafficking with several rape accounts over the past 12 years (definitely read about 100 or more now), but after this one, I need a long break. It was too much. It is horrific what she went through and to learn about some of the after effects from her abuse too. I couldn't take it.
3.5 stars
hitbooksnotgirlz's review against another edition
4.0
The story was heartbreaking and horrifying, but I feel that the writing/retelling was just not as good or as powerful as it could have been.
eimearodonoghue's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
informative
sad
fast-paced
3.5
pandalif's review against another edition
challenging
dark
medium-paced
Content Warnings
Graphic: Emotional abuse, Trafficking, Sexual assault, Physical abuse, Sexual violence, and Violence
bigcitydreamer's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
sad
fast-paced
5.0
A harrowing, heartbreaking and ultimately inspiring and powerful memoir from a woman who never lost her sense of self-worth even after months of torture as a sex slave. This book engrossed me from the start, and also inspired me to do my part to raise awareness and support efforts to fight trafficking. A worthy read
xliterati's review against another edition
5.0
There is something incredibly harrowing about reading the account of Anna’s kidnapping and subsequent trafficking experiences. The way she pieces her story together very specifically for an audience that she knows could not POSSIBLY fathom that this could happen to anyone, is so visceral that every page is bound to make you feel sick. It is not a story that should be taken lightly and it is an incredibly important one. As a social worker who has seen the downsides and dangers of criminalizing sex workers, it is equally impactful to read Anna’s POV when she speaks about the law passed in Northern Ireland. How she cannot possibly fathom that the women who choose to do sex work could not account for the thousand of women who are kidnapped and forced to do the work without consent. It leaves one with much to think about and most importantly it is an account that will stay with me for a very long time. Thank you, Anna, for sharing your story.
caraghwhitehead's review against another edition
4.0
I truly shocking story. So sad that things like this are happening in the world we live in. Really opens your eyes to what is going on around you. Think it should be made compulsory reading for all men.
busdjur's review against another edition
3.0
En obehaglig historia men framförd med en så avtrubbad ton att den inte berör på det vis jag hade hoppats.