Hidden Girl Review

Hidden Girl

Written by: Shyima Hall
# of pages: 230

My Rating: 5/5

Read in December 2013

Summary according to goodreads

An inspiring and compelling memoir from a young woman who lost her childhood to slavery—and built a new life grounded in determination and justice.

Shyima Hall was born in Egypt on September 29, 1989, the seventh child of desperately poor parents. When she was eight, her parents sold her into slavery. Shyima then moved two hours away to Egypt’s capitol city of Cairo to live with a wealthy family and serve them eighteen hours a day, seven days a week. When she was ten, her captors moved to Orange County, California, and smuggled Shyima with them. Two years later, an anonymous call from a neighbor brought about the end of Shyima’s servitude—but her journey to true freedom was far from over.

A volunteer at her local police department since she was a teenager, Shyima is passionate about helping to rescue others who are in bondage. Now a US citizen, she regularly speaks out about human trafficking and intends to one day become an immigration officer. In Hidden Girl, Shyima candidly reveals how she overcame her harrowing circumstances and brings vital awareness to a timely and relevant topic.


My Thoughts

I received a copy of this book for review from Simon & Schuster Canada, but that does not influence my opinion.

There was a lot of backstory about her life before slavery, and of her family. This helped build an attachment to the character, and understand the circumstances of the situation. It was new for me to read a book like this, but it is a type of book that everyone should read. This book made me really reflect on my life, and the things I am lucky enough to have. I can't even begin to imagine how hard it must have to live the life that she did, and I really admire her strength through her struggles. 

Although I have not read many, this is the best non-fiction I have ever read. It was written in such a beautiful and strong way, I could actually feel her pain and anger. She is such an inspiration, and I wish her the best of luck with her family and future. There isn't much else I can say about this book, except that I recommend this to any reader.