Forgotten Girls: Stories of Hope and Courage [Paperback]

Kay Strom (Author), Michele Rickett (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: November 4, 2009

Think of the little girls you know: your daughter, a niece, a friend's child. And then think about this: little girls are tossed away every day. All over the world, women and girls face

• starvation
• displacement
• illiteracy
• sexual exploitation
• abuse

In fact, statistics show that the world's most oppressed are overwhelmingly female. Moved by their plight, Kay Marshall Strom and Michele Rickett took a trip across continents to partner with ministries working to help females and to interview girls in some of the most difficult places in the world. These pages hold those girls' stories: stories of deep pain and suffering, inspiring courage, and incredible hope. They are the stories of girls who have discovered their value in God's eyes, in the midst of cultures that have rejected them. They are stories of rescue and redemption by God working through compassionate people--people like you. These pages might hold pieces of your story as well, as the authors invite you to pray and speak on behalf of the millions of women and girls who still need to know how much they're worth. For each of the five sections of the book--physical suffering, education, sexual protection, prison and war, and spiritual life--the authors provide specific, practical action steps and prayer points that allow you to get involved as God leads. Opening these pages will open your eyes to situations you couldn't imagine, to places you've probably never been and to young girls--not so different from the ones you know--who are dearly loved by God. And our powerful God will help us as we read, speak and pray on their behalf, that the forgotten might become free.

Editorial Reviews

Review

The stories in Forgotten Girls are not easy to read, but they will change you. You’ll learn about obscure and little-known cultural and societal practices around the world, from Africa to Asia--and you’ll find that today’s injustices pare down to the names, faces, nightmares and dreams of real girls you won’t be able to forget." ("10 Books on Faith & Justice," ACT:S, www.worldvisionacts.org )

"Through riveting, firsthand accounts, Kay Marshall Strom and Michele Rickett take you on a mind-blowing, heart-expanding global expedition as they tell stories of the most defenseless and voiceless of our time--women and children. Forgotten Girls is an unforgettable read, one that can convert our lack of awareness into meaningful, urgent action!" (Beth Booram, author of The Wide Open Spaces of God and Picturing the Face of Jesus )

"This is a moving and inspiring collection of personal stories about real girls from Asia to Africa surviving violence, abuse, discrimination and injustice . . . and the role of God's hand in turning lives of desperation into lives of hope. Strom and Rickett make the facts and sociocultural realities of their worlds come alive, and they challenge us to question our own assumptions about whether or not any single person can make a difference. . . . Everyone's help is needed to truly end this oppression and abuse." (Dean Hirsch, president, World Vision International )

Product Details

• Paperback: 175 pages
• Publisher: IVP Books (November 4, 2009)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0830837310
• ISBN-13: 978-0830837311
• Product Dimensions: 8.2 x 5.4 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 5.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #22,670 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

I am a writer and speaker who loves learning about the world. And what better way to learn than to travel? My dear husband puts up with me... even accompanies me on occasion.

Of course, the more I learn, the more I want to write. And then I want to jump up on my soapbox and share all my insights and ideas.

For years I've been known as a writer of non-fiction. That's still true, but I am also having the time of my life writing fiction. Sometimes there is no better way to share a passion than through a rollicking good story! I just finished writing one historical trilogy, "Grace in Africa," (Book 1: The Call of Zulina, Book 2: The Voyage of Promise, Book 3: The Triumph of Grace). Now I'm working on the next series, "Blessings in India." What fun! It's like eating my chocolate dessert when I haven't finished my broccoli!

Come, explore the world with me. Together we'll strive to make it a better place.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

12 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Be prepared to be moved., October 5, 2010

By 

ShannonAnna (NC) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)   

This review is from: Forgotten Girls: Stories of Hope and Courage (Paperback)

I'm glad I didn't put down this book without letting it affect me.

I loved the stories in this book. And hated the realities that they showed me. I know women around the world face the harshness of starvation, displacement, illiteracy, sexual exploitation, and abuse to a greater degree than men do. Knowing that and reading stories of it are two different things. Knowledge doesn't always move me much; that knowledge with skin on in a story does.

At the end of each section, authors Kay Marshall Strom and Michele Rickett include a list of action steps that could make a difference. Some are simple, including specific prayer needs and ideas for blog posts. Some are more elaborate. It's nice to have difference-making ideas after reading about awful circumstances.

One moving passage:

"Do our brothers and sister in the West know what's happening to us? Do they know we are being forced from our villages? That we are being raped and killed?"
Yes, we say, they know. The plight of the Sudanese is reported in newspapers and shown on television, and it saddens and horrifies us.
"If everyone knows," they say, "where are God's people who have freedom? Why don't they help us?"
That's why Sudan is the hardest place. Yet we go anyway, because the more God's people know, the more they care.

That made me think of a line from one of my favorite movies, Hotel Rwanda, about what the reaction will be of Westerners to footage of African genocide. When Don Cheadle's character assumes that people will help if they see footage of genocide, Joaquin Phoenix's character replies that he thinks people will see the footage, and say "'Oh, my God, that's horrible.' And then they'll go on eating their dinners."

After reading this book, I don't think I'll just go back to what I was like before I knew these stories. They are hard, but they are moving and worth knowing - and sharing.

(Many thanks to InterVarsity Press for providing this book for my review. They didn't ask for a positive review, just an honest one.)

7 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Touching, February 3, 2010

By 

BookBargainsandPreviews.com "www.bookbargains... (New York) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)   

This review is from: Forgotten Girls: Stories of Hope and Courage (Paperback)

This is a powerful book! It is not the easiest read because of the horrible abuse heaped on so many women and girls around the world, but it is one that needs to be read. One of the best parts of this book is the encouragement to be a part of the solution by taking specific steps to make a difference in the lives of millions of marginalized women and girls around the world. Great book to give to other women and girls in your life.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Amazing, November 14, 2010

By 

Hayley Kolb (Minnesota) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Forgotten Girls: Stories of Hope and Courage (Paperback)

Forgotten Girls by Kay Marshall Strom & Michele Rickett is an incredibly eye opening book. It is not exactly an easy read, but I tried not to let it affect me. This book is about real stories of little girls being abused and hurt and abandoned. Not a pretty picture. It makes me enraged. Why is nothing being done for these girls? It is a moving book and it for sure makes you want to get involved.