Sistah for Sale by Miasha
By Darnetta Frazier • Oct 24th, 2008 • Category: Book Review •
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Imagine a five-year old girl witnessing her father’s murder and being stripped from the clutches of her mother’s fists… this was the beginning of Sienna’s life story in the novella Sistah for Sale by Miasha. At such a tender age, with no parents, Sienna sought protection and comfort from the man, Chatmon, who rescued her and it appeared he fit the role perfectly. He even provided her with a few surrogate mothers, each having been the top girl of his prostitution ring at one point in time, only to strip them away from her in similar ways as her biological mother had been taken. Sienna vowed to never become attached to another person brought into their home but when Ryan, a boy two years her senior, moved in, she reneged on her promise.
Growing up together made the two inseparable and ultimately a secret, romantic relationship ensued. Chatmon did not allow his workers to fraternize with the prostitutes and anyone caught would be punished, thus Sienna and Ryan’s need for secrecy. Being raised and living, with prostitutes made her choice of career a no-brainer. Armed with self-taught knowledge of the game, she was determined to secure her position as top girl in Chatmon’s business. She knew she had the deal sealed when she obtained international clientele which no woman before her had ever done. Her goal then became to own the business; a vision she and Ryan shared.
When one of her international clients summoned her to escort him to a conference, she realized how grimy the business she had known all her life was as the speakers discussed ways to crack down on human trafficking. With this knowledge and Chatmon’s physical abuse, would she really be the one to make a difference like one of his prostitutes told her long ago? Or would she be forever trapped, selling her body for a man who was not the person he appeared to be?
Sistah for Sale is an excellent, intimate glimpse into a business that is blossoming at an alarming rate. Having attended a few human trafficking seminars myself, I was amazed with the accuracy of Miasha’s writing on the subject. She successfully blended reality with fiction, allowing readers to see the horrors of selling dreams to people from other countries only to bring them to the states for prostitution or as extremely cheap labor. The character depth was great; I connected with all of them, even Chatmon. The author executed writing SFS in first person with grace, as it is not an easy task to incorporate dialogue with this view, nor is it easy to provide good imagery without being extremely wordy. I recommend Sistah for Sale to urban fiction fans and those who enjoy contemporary fiction.
Reviewed by Darnetta Frazier
APOOO BookClub
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Darnetta Frazier is an Ohio-born, spoken-word poet who has composed poetry since she was able to hold a laddie pencil. As reviewer for A Place Of Our Own (APOOO) and aspiring novelist, she dabbles in the literary scene from all perspectives. She has been published on www.thebacklist.net, interviewed on www.blogginginblack.com, and is currently submitting fiction manuscripts to publishers while juggling daughterhood, sisterhood, wifedom, parenthood, and of course, writing. Outside of family and all things literary, Darnetta overindulges in Hip-Hop, dabbles in computer graphic design, and creates handcrafted cards, candles, and jewelry.
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