by Talia Carner
"In The Third Daughter, Talia Carner ably illuminates a little-known piece of history: the sex trafficking of young women from Russia to South America in the late 19th century. Thoroughly researched and vividly rendered, this is an important and unforgettable story of exploitation and empowerment that will leave you both shaken and inspired." —Pam Jenoff, New York Times bestselling author of The Lost Girls of Paris
The turn of the 20th century finds fourteen-year-old Batya in the Russian countryside, fleeing with her family endless pogroms. Desperate, her father leaps at the opportunity to marry Batya to a worldly, wealthy stranger who can guarantee his daughter an easy life and passage to America.
Feeling like a princess in a fairytale, Batya leaves her old life behind as she is whisked away to a new world. But soon she discovers that she's entered a waking nightmare. Her new "husband" does indeed bring her to America: Buenos Aires, a vibrant, growing city in which prostitution is not only legal but deeply embedded in the culture. And now Batya is one of thousands of women tricked and sold into a brothel.
As the years pass, Batya forms deep bonds with her "sisters" in the house as well as some men who are both kind and cruel. Through it all, she holds onto one dream: to bring her family to America, where they will be safe from the anti-Semitism that plagues Russia. Just as Batya is becoming a known tango dancer, she gets an unexpected but dangerous opportunity—to help bring down the criminal network that has enslaved so many young women and has been instrumental in developing Buenos Aires into a major metropolis.
A powerful story of finding courage in the face of danger, and hope in the face of despair, The Third Daughter brings to life a dark period of Jewish history and gives a voice to victims whose truth deserves to finally be told.
"In The Third Daughter, Talia Carner ably illuminates a little-known piece of history: the sex trafficking of young women from Russia to South America in the late 19th century. Thoroughly researched and vividly rendered, this is an important and unforgettable story of exploitation and empowerment that will leave you both shaken and inspired." —Pam Jenoff, New York Times bestselling author of The Lost Girls of Paris
The turn of the 20th century finds fourteen-year-old Batya in the Russian countryside, fleeing with her family endless pogroms. Desperate, her father leaps at the opportunity to marry Batya to a worldly, wealthy stranger who can guarantee his daughter an easy life and passage to America.
Feeling like a princess in a fairytale, Batya leaves her old life behind as she is whisked away to a new world. But soon she discovers that she's entered a waking nightmare. Her new "husband" does indeed bring her to America: Buenos Aires, a vibrant, growing city in which prostitution is not only legal but deeply embedded in the culture. And now Batya is one of thousands of women tricked and sold into a brothel.
As the years pass, Batya forms deep bonds with her "sisters" in the house as well as some men who are both kind and cruel. Through it all, she holds onto one dream: to bring her family to America, where they will be safe from the anti-Semitism that plagues Russia. Just as Batya is becoming a known tango dancer, she gets an unexpected but dangerous opportunity—to help bring down the criminal network that has enslaved so many young women and has been instrumental in developing Buenos Aires into a major metropolis.
A powerful story of finding courage in the face of danger, and hope in the face of despair, The Third Daughter brings to life a dark period of Jewish history and gives a voice to victims whose truth deserves to finally be told.
Reviews-
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August 1, 2019
Inspired by her passion for justice for women worldwide, Carner (Jerusalem Maiden) tells the story of Batya, a Jewish Russian girl living in Eastern Europe during the time of Russian tsar Alexander. The story opens with Batya's family fleeing a pogrom. But Batya's beauty is noticed by a wealthy businessman, Moscowitz, who convinces Batya's father to let him marry her although she is only 14. Later, after a series of brutal rapes and violent threats, Batya understands that she is being taken to Buenos Aires, where Moscowitz is part of a sexual trafficking organization called Zwi Migal. There, one thought alone sustains her: she must find a way to make enough money to bring the rest of her family to safety. But how? Through the intervention of real-life Jewish philanthropist Maurice de Hirsch she is able to achieve her goal. Her story has a happy ending, but for thousands of girls trafficked to South America during the 18th and 19th centuries, there was no such thing. VERDICT Recommended for its complex characters and a story based on a little-known part of history. The author provides a glossary of Yiddish and Spanish words used and a list of resources for readers.--Susanne Lohkamp, Multnomah Cty. Lib., Portland, OR
Copyright 2019 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.
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Pam Jenoff, New York Times bestselling author of The Lost Girls of Paris
"Talia Carner ably illuminates a little-known piece of history: the sex trafficking of young women from Russia to South America in the late 19th century. Thoroughly researched and vividly rendered, this is an important and unforgettable story of exploitation and empowerment that will leave you both shaken and inspired." — Pam Jenoff, New York Times bestselling author of The Lost Girls of Paris
"Rich with historical detail and evocative prose, The Third Daughter by Talia Carner fictionalizes the shocking true history of young Jewish girls who were trafficked into prostitution in Buenos Aires. I was blown away by this impeccably researched and beautifully written novel. An unforgettable story of strength and survival." — Jillian Cantor, USA Today bestselling author of In Another Time
"Inspired by [Carner's] passion for justice for women worldwide...Recommended for its complex characters and a story based on a little-known part of history." — Library Journal
"Complex....A valuable contribution to our understanding of a difficult era." — Hadassah Magazine
