An inspiring and compelling memoir from a young woman who lost her
childhood to slavery--and built a new life grounded in determination and
justice.
Shyima Hall was born in Egypt on September 29, 1989, the seventh child
of desperately poor parents. When she was eight, her parents sold her
into slavery. Shyima then moved two hours away to Egypt's capitol city
of Cairo to live with a wealthy family and serve them eighteen hours a
day, seven days a week. When she was ten, her captors moved to Orange
County, California, and smuggled Shyima with them. Two years later, an
anonymous call from a neighbor brought about the end of Shyima's
servitude--but her journey to true freedom was far from over.
A volunteer at her local police department since she was a teenager,
Shyima is passionate about helping to rescue others who are in bondage.
Now a US citizen, she regularly speaks out about human trafficking and
intends to one day become an immigration officer. In Hidden Girl,
Shyima candidly reveals how she overcame her harrowing circumstances and
brings vital awareness to a timely and relevant topic.