A Walk Across The Sun: A Novel

Corban Addison

Jan 2012 · Harper Collins

About this ebook

When a tsunami rages through their coastal home in India, sisters Ahalya and Sita are left orphaned and alone. Searching for protection in a devastated landscape, they are thrust into a seamy world of violence and underground commerce.

In Washington, D.C., attorney Thomas Clarke, facing his own personal and professional crisis, makes the fateful decision to pursue a pro bono sabbatical in Mumbai, India, with a non-profit organization that prosecutes the region’s human traffickers.

Though Clarke and the sisters are separated by half a world, their destinies are intertwined. Clarke makes it his personal mission to rescue them, setting the stage for a riveting showdown with an international network of ruthless criminals.

Spanning three continents and two cultures, A Walk Across the Sun is a suspenseful, fast-paced and moving journey through the underworld of modern slavery and into the darkest—and most resilient— corners of the human heart.

Ratings and reviews

This book is a tough read. The subject matter can make your skin crawl and the hairs on your arms will rise. There are more ways to create a human slave than I had ever imagined. There is no end to the number of people who will prey on the innocent, who are simply driven by greed and a lack of conscience. The book is mainly about two main characters, sisters, aged 17 and 15, Ahalya and Sita. Before literally being cast adrift by a tsunami, in their home town in India, they led charmed lives in a lovely house with loving, educated and successful parents. After, along with their family, all of their servants and friends are suddenly wiped out, and they are completely alone. While trying to get to their convent school and safety, they are kidnapped and sold into human bondage, for all intents and purposes, disappearing; one young woman’s life soon begins as a sex slave and the other, as a servant. Many of the girls that are sold have been captured because of their naivete. They answer questionable ads, run away from home in search of a better life, escape to raise money for poverty stricken or ill relatives. Regardless of their motives, they are all abused and terrified of their captors who show them no mercy and treat them without any consideration for human needs. They fall prey to the dregs of society. Reading this, I could literally feel my blood pressure rise because of the horror the young women were exposed to and because of the despicable nature of the men who used and abused them. These young, inexperienced girls were in no condition to fight their captors. In order to stop this trafficking, the users of these services should be punished, along with the pimps and the kidnappers and the brothel owners, etc.; anyone involved in aiding or abetting this practice should be put away forever. They are monsters of the worst degree. How they turn a blind eye to their complicity in this crime is incomprehensible. Although the book could have degenerated into a sex crazed story, with elaborate descriptions of rape and physical violence, the author let the story move the plot along rather than the titillating descriptions, which are the meat and potatoes of many novels today. The more explicit scenes are left to the reader’s imagination. The narrative is suspenseful and very exciting. The story is filled with twists and turns which will hold the reader's interest while at the same time educate the reader about this abominable trade that can only exist because there are so many depraved men supporting it. The main problem with the book is the number of failed rescues; there were just too many near misses. They tried to include every different kind of human trafficking possible while at the same time, the author seemed intent on protecting and keeping the teenager, Sita, safe from the actual consequences of her captivity, the actual moment of the rape which would make her a courtesan or worse. Either all law enforcement is corrupt and inept or the author wanted to portray them that way to keep the story going on and on. One thing is for sure, there are corrupt politicians and law enforcement officers who allow this to continue. Also, there is an underlying love story complete with betrayal which probably could have been left out although it moved the plot along and moved the characters to the countries they needed to be in order for the tale to play out. The confluence of so many events occurring at just the right time, and for just the right reason, appeared a bit too serendipitous and unrealistic but the story held my interest completely; its human interest tugged my heartstrings. It is at once sad and painful, as it is also hopeful and joyful. It is obvious that the author knows this subject well and while the story may go off on one too many tangents, on occasion, and lose credibility, at times, the book deserves to be read. The crime and shame of human trafficking always remains the main theme that the author wished to expose and expunge.

Deeply disturbing as it happens around the world every day.

About the author

Corban Addison is the international bestselling author of A Walk Across the Sun, The Garden of Burning Sand, A Harvest of Thorns, and The Tears of Dark Water, which won the inaugural Wilbur Smith Adventure Writing Prize. His novels have been published in over 25 countries. An attorney, activist, and world traveler, he is a supporter of humanitarian and social justice causes around the world. He lives with his wife and children in Virginia. Web: corbanaddison.com Facebook: CorbanAddison Twitter: @CorbanAddison