Books by patricia mccormick

Interview

Patricia McCormick discusses her heartrending novel for teens and adults, about a thirteen-year-old Nepalese girl who is sold into an Indian brothel - a fate shared by an estimated 12,000 Nepalese children each year.

What inspired you to tell this story?
In the past year or so, the trafficking of children has gotten a good deal of media attention. But nearly five years ago, when I had a chance meeting with a photographer who was working undercover to document the presence of young girls in brothels overseas, I knew immediately that I wanted to do what no one else had done so far: tell this heartbreaking story from the point of view of one individual girl.

I believe that young adults want to know what’s happening to their peers on the other side of the world, but that media accounts, by their very nature, cannot usually go beyond the surface. To me, there is nothing more powerful- or permanent- than the impact of a book.

What did your travel to India and Nepal bring to your story?
I spent a month in India and Nepal tracing Lakshmi’s steps- going from a poor, isolated village in the foothills of the Himalayas all the way to the teeming red-light district of Calcutta. Trained as an investigative reporter, I took notes and photos observing the sights, smells, foods, sounds, and the customs- details to give the book authenticity. I also interviewed women in the red-light district, girls who had been rescued, and a man ...

Full Interview

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