In honor of Ban ned Books Week (October 4&ndash\;10)\, we'll be discussing book banning\, censorship\, and your role in protecting the freedom to read for all peopl e. We'll also be discussing \;Sold \;by Patricia McCormic k\, which has the dubious distinction of being at the top of current banne d and challenged books lists. What is it about this book that people take issue with\, and what can we learn from this powerful story? Join us for t his afternoon of discussion. \;
\nThe first 50 participants will also receive a free copy of the book to read a nd pass on. \;
\nBook
summary:
Lakshmi is a 13-year-old girl who lives with her fam
ily in a small hut on a mountain in Nepal. Though desperately poor\, her l
ife is full of simple pleasures\, like playing hopscotch with her best fri
end from school\, and having her mother brush her hair by the light of an
oil lamp. But when the harsh Himalayan monsoons wash away all that remains
of the family's crops\, Lakshmi's stepfather says she must leave home and
take a job to support her family. He introduces her to a glamorous strang
er who tells her she will find her a job as a maid in the city. Glad to be
able to help\, Lakshmi journeys to India and arrives at &ldquo\;Happiness
House&rdquo\; full of hope. But she soon learns the unthinkable truth: Sh
e has been sold into prostitution. \;Lakshmi's life becomes a nightmar
e from which she cannot escape. Still\, she lives by her mother's words&md
ash\;"Simply to endure is to triumph"&mdash\;and gradually\, she forms fri
endships with the other girls that enable her to survive in this terrifyin
g new world. Then the day comes when she must make a decision: Will she ri
sk everything for a chance to reclaim her life? Written in spare and evoca
tive vignettes by the co-author of \;I Am Malala (Young Readers Ed
ition)\, this powerful novel renders a world that is as unimaginable
as it is real\, and a girl who not only survives but triumphs.