Review of "Sold" by Patricia McCormick: A Haunting Story of Survival in Captivity

“Simply to endure is to triumph.” - Sold

Summary and Background

Book Cover (Source: Amazon)

Patricia McCormick's Sold is a sad but very realistic book narrated by Lakshmi, a thirteen-year-old Nepali country girl. Her existence is that of poverty, but also of routine and familiarity. She cares for goats, works on her family's little patch of land, and hopes to have a tin roof someday so the rain no longer seeps through the thatch. Lakshmi’s world, though simple, is colored by the landscapes she knows and the people she loves, especially her mother.

When a monsoon destroys her family’s crops, desperation sets in. Lakshmi’s stepfather, who is an unreliable man with a taste for gambling, announces that she will travel to the city to work as a maid for a wealthy family. He framed it as an act of sacrifice for the good of the family, and Lakshmi agrees, clinging to the hope of earning enough to support her mother and younger siblings.

But the journey is based on deceit. Instead of finding a decent job, Lakshmi is brought into an Indian brothel. The truth of her situation seeps into her slowly, shock giving way to horror as she realizes what awaits her. McCormick's use of verse grasps this dawning awareness and shock in a raw and immediate style.

What gives strength to the narrative is that the background is rooted in real events. McCormick extensively interviewed survivors of exploitation, aid workers, and others, and wove their accounts together into a fictionalized but realistic narrative. Although the narrative of Lakshmi is an independent story, it also represents the tens of thousands of girls trafficked annually across borders.

Themes, Motifs, and Symbols

In the end, Sold is a tale of survival against betrayal. Loss of innocence is one of the most compelling themes. Lakshmi is set up as an innocent, trusting child, and the loss of trust throughout the book is heartbreaking to witness. The betrayal is not just from the outside—it starts with those whom she loves best, demonstrating how prejudice and poverty can motivate individuals to betray their own.

Survival is not just being depicted as simple tolerance of bodily harm. It's keeping one's person and self intact too. Lakshmi survives on remembering her mother's lessons, holding onto hope, and finding ways to become human in a world that tries to desensitize her. These acts of inner rebellion, refusing to erase herself, are as crucial as food and shelter.

The novel also exposes the mutually dependent forces on which exploitation exists: poverty, patriarchy, and corruption. McCormick does not oversimplify the trafficking to being one act of brutality done by one criminal. Rather, she exposes the web of situations, such as economic desperation, social custom, and lack of protection, that make a girl's life negotiable. 

Symbols add depth to the story. That tin roof Lakshmi is dreaming of is not merely a tangible entity—it is a metaphor for security, stability, and respect, something that she believes her hard work will be able to give her family. The "debt" that she is told she's owed then serves as the harsh irony for the endless systems of domination put in place to keep victims trapped. Even the brothel itself, with its locked doors and barred windows, is symbolically a cage, a literal and social one, for the constraints placed on women in a man's world.

Notable Scenes and Moments

The saddest part is when Lakshmi realizes, too late, that she is not a maid, but a commodity. McCormick holds back from this characterization, but through withholding specific detailing, the reality suffers all the more. You feel Lakshmi's bewilderment yield to desperation, and then to a numb resignation, which is perhaps worse than terror.

Her interactions with the other girls in the brothel are another nice touch. They are little acts of defiance against a system that seeks to terrorize and isolate. In laughter shared, hushed words of warning, and moments of kindness, the women remind each other they are human. These moments allow the book to be readable on a level, as they are beams of light in a book filled otherwise with darkness.

A particularly tense sequence occurs near the end, when an American aid worker offers Lakshmi a chance to escape. It’s not portrayed as a triumphant Hollywood rescue—it’s uncertain, risky, and emotional. Lakshmi’s hesitation reflects the very real fear victims face when escape is offered: Will this person truly help me? What will happen if I’m caught? The lack of neat resolution is part of the reason why Sold is so effective—it's an acknowledgment that freedom is not something you push against a door and walk through, but a rough, complicated process.

Final Verdict

Sold is a work of witness and a work of art. It is poetic but not mawkish, honest but not salacious. McCormick has created a story that doesn't just tell you about trafficking, as it sets you down in the middle of the confusion, the terror, and most profoundly, the resilience of the people who endure it.

This is a novel that forces you to confront ugly realities, not as an abstract issue, but as the lived reality of a young girl who very well may get lost in the eyes of the world. Lakshmi's story lingers with you long after you've read the book, reminding you that to live is not just to get through today, but to hold on to the vision of tomorrow.

Though difficult to read in certain areas, Sold is essential because it is difficult to read. It has to be on school reading lists, teaching lists, and on any list that someone would want to study the human side of trafficking. Its value comes not only in awareness but in awareness with compassion and not simply statistics. Therefore, I rate it a 8/10.

Which theme from Sold would resonate with you the most?

• The loss of innocence
• The betrayal of trust
• The will to survive against all odds
• The importance of human connection

About the Author:

I'm Jophy Lin, a high school junior and researcher. I blog about a variety of topics, such as STEM research, competitions, shows, and my experiences in the scientific community. If you’re interested in research tips, competition insights, drama reviews, personal reflections on STEM opportunities, and other related topics, subscribe to my newsletter to stay updated!