Shadow of the Taj
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In the grim, seedy brothels of India, countless poverty-stricken women are trapped in a brutal system that thrives on their abuse. Escape is impossible--until one woman takes a stand for one little girl. Leslie Matthews travels to India with her husband and risks everything--money, her marriage, even her life--to save Raveena, a twelve-year-old girl she first sees at the New Delhi Zoo, where her handler forces her to dance seductively for money. Haunted by her own dark past, Leslie follows the girl, hoping to help, and is drawn into a bitter world of systemic sexual slavery. She learns the girl will soon be forced into prostitution and resolves to get her out of the brothel she lives in before that happens. The police can't help her. The embassy can't help her. Her husband refuses to help her. Though she has no experience with this world, she resolves to rescue Raveena from the brutal and sordid underworld, whatever the cost...
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Wow... this was the heaviest book I've read in a while. It was almost too much for me at times but I am so glad I stuck with it. This is a heartbreaking story that is so tragically based on the global human trafficking crisis. Leslie's instant love, concern, and willingness to do whatever it takes to save Raveena's life is admirable. I wanted to hop on a plane to India and save a child myself.
Another thing I really enjoyed was Leslie's struggle with her faith. I wasn't sure what direction this plotline was going at first with so many negative comments about her parents' faith (particularly her mother's), but it ended up being a journey. The question posed is one I think most Christians struggle with at one point or another. While the answer doesn't come in this life, we get to watch Leslie go through these tests and find her own relationship with God. This isn't something I see often in fiction, especially with such real and horrific situations surrounding it.
This story was rich in characters, plot, and side-plots. ‘One more chapter' before bed continuously became five more chapters. This might be wishful thinking, but I hope someday there will be a follow-up book.
Thanks to BookSirens for providing a free review copy. I have since purchased a physical copy of the book for myself.
