Sold by Patricia McCormick is a stunning tale of Lakshmi a thirteen year old girl who lives in a small village of Nepal. I could write a book review, but as I started the book I started noticing interesting things about her culture. This book is a novel, but I am sure that the author did research before she dove into writing about this culture.

I cannot even imagine being this young girl. Her family is tremendously poor. Her step-father is a drunk and a gambler; therefore, he makes their living situation worse. Her mother feels as though it is a blessing to have a man in the house, even though he makes things worse.

The family gardens to produce food. The climate helps and hurts their garden. During dry season plants cannot grow, and during rainy season , often in rains too much and they plants take a plunder to death by a mudslide.

Sometimes when families don’t have enough money they send their daughters off to be maids for wealthier people in the country, but the worst part is they are shipped off to where these families live and often don’t return to their own hut cities. These huts are made out of anything that can be used as shelter, and if you have a tin roof on your hut you are considered well off for your town.

These people don’t leave their town, often or ever. So when Lakshmi leaves for the first time she is very confused. She goes to a big city and thinks that is going to be her final destination, but the woman escorting her takes her through many cities.

What a difference between this girl’s life and when you or I were thirteen.