A L Smith

Behind Closed Doors 2 Danna's Story A L Smith Anniversary edition

"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...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.
Review

An uncompromising but profound urban tale from an incisive author Kirkus




The author is a master storyteller and should be commended for crafting a plot that is so absorbing. I look forward to reading more books in this series. For a time, I felt like

I was transported to East St. Louis and Dana's world. Maybe her world wasn't

such a good place to be, but I had no choice. Really good books can do that

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