Silver's Reviews

In A WALK ACROSS THE SUN you meet Ahalya and her sister Sita who were saved, if you can call it saved, from the terrors of the tsunami that occurred in India.  Their entire family perished in the tsunami, and these two innocent girls were kidnapped, bought, and forced into a brothel in India. 

 

Meanwhile on the other side of the world, Thomas Clarke, an attorney in Washington D.C., takes on a position in India to try to find and arrest the sex traffic offenders.

You will follow the horrors of a life these two girls and the other underage and legal-aged girls lead in these houses. You will feel their humiliation and helplessness.  The horrors of forced child prostitution are unthinkable, but it happens more than we want to believe…even in the United States. 

 

You will also see the wealthy side of Bombay, India, and feel the rush of everyday life and the unbelievable multitude of people. Ever-present poverty is never far away from the wealthy sections along with the red-light districts in the poorest towns with children hidden inside with no way out.

This book is not a police report...it is the story of Ahalya and Sita and the plight of these girls and other unfortunate girls around the globe.   Ahalya and Sita are the main characters the story is based upon.  The suspense and the fear you have for Sita, Ahalya, and the other "prisoners" of these traffickers is real.  There is also a love story weaved into the book which takes the reader from the United States to India.

 

The book is very well written,  as tastefully written as it can be, and will hold your interest in spite of the unpleasant subject matter.  It is eye opening to find out about corrupt police forces and the trafficking that is incredibly rampant.  It is also unbelievable that this trafficking can occur to such a great extent without its being discovered. 

The last few chapters of the book take a different direction in terms of plot.  The tense subject matter melts away and takes the reader on a more redeeming ride.  The book leaves you with a powerful message and with a sense of sorrow for society. 

 

My rating is an unequivocal 5/5.  Great research and wonderful storyline.