Behind Closed Doors 2 Dana's Story by A.L. Smith

Description

"The love of money is the root to all evil, but poverty and wealth are its greatest companions..." ~ A.L. Smith

Human trafficking is often considered an international phenomenon and women from third world countries are the first images that come to mind. However, “familial human trafficking” is a more intimate crime due to the dynamics of the underlying relationships. Human trafficking is one of the largest criminal entities in the country today, second only to drug trafficking, with 200,000 cases reported each year. Abject poverty, visible obscurity and other socioeconomic disparities are contributing factors. Behind Closed Doors 2 is the riveting tale of one little girl’s struggle to overcome circumstances beyond her control. Born and raised on the ruthless streets of East St Louis, Dana Toussaint was accustomed to a life of privilege, thanks to her father, a Haitian-born immigrant and notorious drug lord. Dana’s mother, a materialistic southern belle from South Louisiana, is consumed by the good life, as memories of her upbringing in an East New Orleans housing project become a distant memory. In spite of the similarities between the Haitian and Louisiana Creole cultures, the marriage unravels and the unthinkable occurs when Dana’s father abruptly abandons the family. At the age of 12, Dana becomes the ultimate sacrifice and her mother brokers the deal.

 

This story begins when Dana is a little girl of 8 and ends when she is a young woman. She is a bright girl and I went back and forth from wanting to give her a hug to wanting to shake her when she made some poor choices that I knew were going to lead to heart-ache for her.

Dana Toussaint was a reasonably happy little girl living with her parents, 2 sisters and brother, until her childhood was brutally ripped away. Now without her father in her life, her abusive mother Diana goes out of her way to make her feel like dirt. When they have to move into the housing projects Dana's siblings still get new clothes while Dana's come from the second hand stores. Dana's mother still seems to be living the good life while Dana is lucky to even get a meal. Things go from bad to worse when Diana decides she can use Dana's body to make more money for herself. This was a heart wrenching read. I would rate it 4 of 5 stars.

I received a complimentary copy for review.