I’m RuthAnn, Dressember advocate since 2014 and enthusiastic bookworm! This summer, I’m excited to invite you to join me in reading about human trafficking and discussing together. Over the next couple of months, you’ll have the opportunity to discuss over social media and chat about the book in real time with Dressember founder, Blythe Hill and me!

We’re reading Sold, by Patricia McCormick. This young adult novel was released in 2006, and that year, it was a finalist for the National Book Award for Young People’s Literature. In sections of short prose, we hear the story of Lakshmi, a 13-year-old girl from Nepal who is sold into slavery at a brothel in India. The author wrote this fictional account based on her research on the ground in Nepal and the red light district of Kolkata, India.

In my opinion, Sold is appropriate for a mature middle-school student and definitely high schoolers. It’s a great book for adults (like parents and teachers) and teens to read together, to serve as an entry point for conversations about human trafficking. Sadly, so many victims of human trafficking are teenagers. Sold gives a window into what the experience is like as we hear the story from Lakshmi’s perspective.

I read Sold for the first time last year, and the poignant language really helped to cement concepts for me, like the desperation of poverty and the trap of debt. I’m looking forward to discussing it with you and hearing how your reading experience was!

Here’s how it works!

1) Get your hands on a copy of Sold and get to reading. You can find it at your local library or purchase it here.

2) Follow Dressember on Facebook or Instagram and participate in our posted discussions on July 9th, 16th, and 23rd

3) Tune in to Instagram Live as Blythe and I chat in real time about the book on August 7

Happy reading, advocates! Here’s to learning and growing together!

XO

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Join the Dres"summer" Book Club!

Here’s how it works!