Ratings5
Average rating3.6
When a tsunami rages through their coastal town in India, 17-year-old Ahalya Ghai and her 15-year-old sister Sita are left orphaned and homeless. As they struggle to reach the safe haven of the convent where they attend school, they are abducted by human traffickers and thrust into a hidden world of sexual violence and illicit commerce, where the most valuable prize is the innocence of a child. Halfway across the world, in Washington, D.C., attorney Thomas Clarke faces his own personal and professional crises. Haunted by the tragic death of his infant daughter and estranged from his wife, he makes the fateful decision to pursue a pro bono sabbatical in India with an NGO that prosecutes the subcontinent's human traffickers. In Mumbai, his conscience awakens as he sees firsthand the horrors of the sex trade and the corrupt judicial system that fosters it. When he learns the fate of Ahalya and Sita, Clarke makes it his personal mission to rescue them, setting the stage for a deadly showdown with an international network of ruthless criminals. Spanning three continents and two cultures, this story chronicles an unforgettable journey through the underworld of modern slavery and into the darkest and most resilient corners of the human heart.
Reviews with the most likes.
Compelling read about human trafficking–sex work, drug transport, pornography, slavery. The book paints an ugly picture, and yet reality is far worse.
Read my full review here: Review of A Walk Across the Sun
The setting and storyline were interesting, however, the characters seemed flat and not well developed. I had compassion for the girls, but never felt an emotional connection to them. I was expecting more intrigue and detective work on the part of Thomas. He had been through a lot but it was difficult to feel compassion for him because he was so self-centered through most of the book.