What Amazon says
Tragedy . . . heartache . . . how much more can Tyler Montgomery and John Webster take? This missions trip, the “healing” one, has only added fresh layers of pain. Construction of an orphanage in Haiti’s northwest . . . yes. But a doomed rescue operation, human traffickers, human anomalies, extreme personal danger . . . risk of death? They hadn’t signed up for those.
Turning their backs on the crisis, however, is unthinkable, it’s just not who they are.
My review
This is a book about child trafficking, in this particular case, in Haiti, post the destructive earthquake of 2010. This topic is not a new one, but I thought the execution of this story was rather unique in its demonstration of the impact that child trafficking has on all the people involved, from the victims to their families, relationships between the abducted children, older people who have been in slavery most of their lives and external people who aim to rescue a particular child or children, if possible.
John and Tyler are two Americans who have come to Haiti as part of the volunteer relief programme post the earthquake. John is Tyler’s deceased young wife’s father and they have both come to Haiti seeking to exercise the demons resulting from Joy’s death from pancreatic cancer. When the seven-year old daughter, Chantale, of the housekeeper where they are staying is abducted by child traffickers, they become embroiled in trying to find the child. It becomes a burning obsession for Tyler who believes it will help eradicate some of the guilt and pain he feels about his wife’s death.
I liked the characters of both John and Tyler, they felt very real and came across as really nice and caring men. The one aspect relating to both of them that really stuck out for me is how real their behaviour and decisions were in this book. They both made some decisions that were impulsive and ill advised and they paid the price by ending up in difficult situations. There were no unlikely sets of circumstances that gave them an easy out of their self induced problems and their struggles were reasonable and gave the story a ring of reality and authenticity.
The conflict in the personality of supporting character, Janjak, also had a ring of truth. Janjak lived a hard life and has been in prison. He was most fortunate to escape prison with his life when the earthquake occurred and many of the prisoners died in their underground jail. Janjak needs money and is prepared to rob the privileged Americans, John and Tyler, but he is not prepared to commit murder. He also has a good heart and is grieved by the surge of child trafficking in his country and its surrounds. His pity for the children leads him to eventually helping John and Tyler on their mission to save Chantale.
There are a couple of side stories running through the book, including the story of a fifteen year old girl who has been in slavery for many years and manages to escape with a friend and is on the run. The circumstances surrounding the wife of the psychotic ring-leader of the child traffickers, who is herself an abducted child and is a slave to her husband and a social worker, called Violine, who tries to help John and Tyler with their mission and who has all sorts of unknown relationships.
This is a fast paced book, full of action and excitement, but with a heart rending underlying theme.
This looks like an interesting read. Thanks for sharing your thoughts, Robbie 🙂
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Thank you, Harmony! Thank you, Robbie, for posting this review!
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My pleasure, Mark, a great book.
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This is an interesting book about a frightening topic. I must admit that I learned an awful lot about Haiti and about this terrible trade.
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Thank you very much for hosting me, Roberta. It was a spooky lesson for me too, as I did the research. Human trafficking seems to be in the news more often these days.
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I think it has always been there, Mark, it has just come into the public domain a lot more recently. It is a good thing this horrendous trade in human lives is being exposed. I am sure the research was heart breaking and I think you toned it down to an extent for this book.
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You’re right, Roberta. It has always been there but it has come more to light in the last few years. I intentionally left out any rape, pedophelia, and gore in this novel. It was however, written to make people think.
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Yes, and it did that without the extra bits that would make it to hard to read for some people.
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Human trafficking is an agonising topic but one that should be openly spoken about in the hope that more notice is taken of it. This sounds just that sort of book. Good luck with it Mark.
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Thank you, Daniel. Human trafficking is a global epidemic and has been getting more attention in the last year or so.
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I know of someone on Twitter who, with the help of crowdfunding, made a movie on the subject
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HI Danny, that sounds like an excellent and worthwhile project.
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Interesting idea. Thanks Daniel.
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A difficult subject to write about but the exposure it gets the better.. Sounds like a riveting plot.. thanks Robbie and congratulations Mark.
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Thank you!
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Hi Sally, this is a very difficult and emotional topic to handle and Mark did it very well. Thanks for reading and commenting.
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My pleasure Robbie.. x
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My sentiments exactly!
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xx
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A topic that can always use more exposure. (K)
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It is a horrible though, Kerfe, especially if you have children of your own.
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It is.
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It is a hidden world, and a global epidemic, one that happens in every country and right under our noses. Thank you for visiting and commenting.
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A friend’s son spent many years working in Asia to try to stop it, but I think most people don’t realize how much goes on in our own country almost right outside our doors.
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Tell me about it. I was blind to this fact until I began to do research for this book.
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Reblogged this on Ed;s Site..
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Thanks Ed
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Thank you, Ed!
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Robbie, excellent review. I just finished this one myself and will be sharing my review next Tuesday on my blog. Mark tackled a difficult and tragic subject. So many of the characters really shine through, especially in some of those side stories you mentioned.. Like you said, a fast-paced read, with a heart-rending theme.
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Thank you, Mae!
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Great review, Robbie. Have to mark this on my TBR list. 🙂
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Thank you, Kevin, it is a very good read.
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Thank you, Kevin!
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This is a great review, Robbie. And the story sounds serious, but excellent. And it’s always a reminder of how hard lives can be. Thanks for sharing it.
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My pleasure, Barbara. The book deals with this difficult topic well.
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Thank you for taking the time to read Robbie’s review. The issue of human trafficking is in every country, incliding the U.S and Canada. More needs to be done.
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Great review, Robbie! I usually shy away from reading about this subject, but I did read this book and felt it was well done.
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Yes, I also like Mark’s style with this book and really enjoyed it.
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Thank you, Denise!
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Great review, Robbie. Congratulations, Mark! Sharing…
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Thank you, Bette. This is a great book.
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On my kindle! 🙂
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Thank you, Bette!
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Sounds like a good read on an all too rellivant subject 💜 Great review Robbie 💜
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Thank you, Willow. It is a very disturbing topic.
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Yes it really is 💜
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Thank you, Willow, for taking the time to read and comment. I really appreciate Robbie and her great review!
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Robbie is great isn’t she. The book sounds very interesting and it appears you have take an approach that will catch the readers interest.
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She certainly is! Thank you for your kind words about the book!
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A pleasure 💜
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My heart goes out to those poor children and their families. This sounds like an emotional read- great review, Robbie.
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Hi Jacquie, it is quite awful in a few parts. I met a lady the other day whose brother’s son was stolen at the age of 7 years old. The never found him. This is about 15 years ago. Can you imagine living with that?
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No, I cannot imagine. 😦
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Oh, no! The fear would of what happened and the hope that he lived would haunt you forever. I imagine guilt would play a huge part, too- just horrible.
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Thank you, Jacquie. The story of Haiti is heart breaking, but I felt it needed to be told. I wrote it to have an emotional impact. I am thankful to Robbie for reviewing and sharing!
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Mark’s book reads fascinating. Thanks for the great review, Robbie. 😀
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My pleasure, Vashti. I am discovering some lovely new authors and books through #RRBC. I have read a few of the children’s books too.
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That’s wonderful, Robbie. 🙂
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Fantastic review Robbie. Definitely sounds like a nonstop action. If there’s graphic violence I’m not sure I could handle it. 🙂
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Hi Debby, Mark has handled the violence well and in most cases he has suggested it rather than including the graphic detail in the book. There are only a few scenes with more detail and I didn’t find it overwhelming. For me the emotional disturbance was in the whole idea and Mark’s descriptions of a mother’s anguish – unbearable.
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Thanks for letting me know Robbie. I’ve bookmarked 🙂
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Oh wow, looks very intense! Child trafficking and slavery is something that burns my dog hide, so I think this book might make me too angry to finish!
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Mark has handled the topic well, H. It really does make you think, this book, and it is well worth reading.
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Thank you for the great review, Robbie!It is a very heavy matter that Marc had taken on here. But very important to keep these things in mind. Michael
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Thank you, Michael. It is a very intense and emotional topic, but I think Mark handled it well and this is a great book.
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Think so too, Robbie! Thank you for reviewing, and have a beautiful weekend! Michael
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I read this book last year and it affected me on a deep level. I know it is fiction, and yet it doesn’t seem like fiction, if that makes sense. Great review for a great book that made my Top Ten List for 2019!
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HI Jan, I remember this book being on your list of top 10. It is a very disturbing read but not to graphic which I prefer.
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It is very sad that people and children are seen as a commodity by many in this world. A great review of a book on a horrifice trade which I am not sure I could read without feeling much angst at a world where this still happpens. X
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Thank you, Carol. It will make you feel emotion, especially as a mother reading about another whose child has been taken. A terrible thought.
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Thanks for the recommendation, Terry, and congratulations to the author. It’s a tough topic but one that deserves to be written about, especially when done well.
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I think Mark did a great job, Olga. I enjoyed this book.
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