by JamesA.Levine (Author)
THE BLUE NOTEBOOK, James A. Levine's first novel, tells the haunting story of Batuk, a 15-year old girl whose family, living in the Indian countryside, is in such poverty and debt that she is sold into sexual slavery and lives in a cage on the streets of Mumbai. Batuk is just one of many girls forced into prostitution, but against the odds, she manages to put pen to paper, writing stories of her life that help her transcend and make a certain sense of her daily existence. The novel is powerfully told in Batuk's voice, through the words she writes in her journal. Searing, moving, and surprisingly hopeful, THE BLUE NOTEBOOK explores how people, in the most difficult of circumstances, can use stories to understand and give meaning to their lives.
Format: Paperback
Pages: 224
Edition: Export ed
Publisher: Weidenfeld & Nicolson
Published: 09 Jul 2009
ISBN 10: 0297855611
ISBN 13: 9780297855613
Book Overview: Will appeal to fans of Monica Ali, Khaled Hosseini, Andrea Levy, Meera Syal This debut novel is controversial and the subject matter will arouse debate and be a focus for publicity River of Words is inspired by a visit the author made to Mumbai where he saw a young prostitute in the Road of Cages who gave him the idea for the character of Batuk The author is a British citizen living in the US. He is a professor of medicine working at the Mayo clinic James is involved in setting up the Batuk Foundation for the eradication of child prostitution in Mumbai