Book Club Discussion: Prayers For the Stolen

For many of us, reading is an escape from our lives. What if the book we escape with is a world where girls must dress as boys to avoid human traffickers and drug lords? Jennifer Clement’s debut novel Prayers for the Stolen takes her readers to rural Mexico, in a world so different from we are accustomed.

At first glance it might be hard to relate to Ladydi and her village, From Left to Write members had much to contribute to our book club discussion:

• Martha from Running Into 30 recalls the day where everything changed
• Rebecca at Life of an Army Wife knows it doesn’t matter how a girl is dressed
• Lisa at Hannemaniacs is inspired to do a little research
• Char of I (Don’t) Know Mommy struggles to stop buying for her non-appreciative child
• Sam from Better With Sprinkles is grateful for what we have
• Ally at NorthSideFour remembers her Mexican childhood
• Gabby of the veggie nook feels fortunate to have been brought up as a girl in Canada
• Meghan from Crazy Casa K strives to understand why she is so lucky when others are struggling
• Ashley Bunker at Memoirs of a Modern Day Wife compares being an American woman vs. a non-American
• Jennifer Wolfe from mamawolfe reflects on the idea of true beauty
• Karen of Time Crafted was marked by forty-two kids, speaking their hope’s dream
• Eva Greene Wilson at SoCaMomthinks back on being dressed in her brother’s clothes
• Kelly from Cupcake Kelly’s discusses the loss of innocence as a girl
• Melanie of tales from the crib struggles with the challenge of raising a beauty
• Emily at Keeping Time does NOT get sold at a gas station
• Stacy from The Novel Life worked with a teenage girl rescued from the sex trade
• Janaki of More Than Four Sides researched medical records of pregnant women who discharged from hospital to prison
• Catherine at everyday epiphanies considers how to love her neighbor as herself
• Meeshie from Habitat of Meshie once wished to be ugly
• Michelle of Mkokopelli talks about helicopter parenting for safety
• Robin at The Not Ever Still Life is grateful for solid construction that keeps outdoor bugs outside
• Michelle from Honest & Truly! never thought it would be hard to name her children
• Briana of My Own Shero discusses how strong women can be in the face of adversity
• Thien-Kim at I’m Not the Nanny wasn’t the son her father wanted
• Cristie Ritz-King from The Right Hand Mom questions how you teach kids empathy

• Bay of  Queen Mother Blog tries her best to keep bad news away

• Laura from This is Thirty wonders what if we didn’t tell our little girls to be pretty

Follow author Jennifer Clement on her website. If you haven’t read Prayers for the Stolen, make sure to pick up a copy.

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From Left to Write

From Left to Write is a virtual book club of readers, writers, bloggers, friends. Follow us on Twitter @FromLeft2Write.