Review, Author Interview, and G!ve@way: The Bracelet by Roberta Gately

Title: The Bracelet
Author: Roberta Gately
Format: Paperback
Publisher: Gallery Books
Publish Date: November 1, 2012
Source: I received a copy from the publisher; however, this did not affect my review.

Why You're Reading This Book:

• You're a fiction fan.
• You're an armchair traveler.

What's the Story?:

From Goodreads.com: "Humanitarian aid Abby Howell and reporter Nick Sinclair find themselves in the middle of a human trafficking ring in Pakistan. When Abby realizes she may have witnessed a murder by a high-ranking official, she and Nick must break the story before she becomes its next casualty."

My Two Cents:

"The Bracelet" is a fairly easy read about a very tough subject: human trafficking. Abby, a nurse, is running away from a failed relationship in the United States. She ends up in Pakistan, one of the most dangerous places in the world, as a UN worker. When she is there, she meets a journalist, Nick, who is chasing a story about human trafficking. Meanwhile, Abby, through her own work and her own relationships in Pakistan, becomes more aware of the issue with human trafficking. She also comes across the man who may be running the largest human trafficking ring in Afghanistan and Pakistan.

Human trafficking is both a fascinating and important subject and I really liked that the author chose to tackle it. It is a difficult subject so it could be very difficult to write about. People who are interested in learning about this subject will find this book interesting even though it is a fictional book.

I never really warmed up to either Abby or Nick or their relationship. Abby is running away from a relationship but falls for Nick and gets involved right away. She didn't seem to be making very good decisions. I wasn't able to find a lot of common ground with her.

Also, I mentioned that this is a light read and I suppose I wished that the storyline itself had a little more gravitas when it came to dealing like such a heavy subject like human trafficking. The feeling throughout the book and the subject matter just seemed a little mismatched to a degree. Overall though, this book did pique my interest to learn more about this grave issue.

Author Interview:
Today I'm happy to have Roberta Gately here at A Bookish Affair.  
1. How did you get the idea to write about human trafficking? 

I didn’t set out to write specifically about human trafficking. My novel started with a murder, and I had figure out who my victim was. I wanted the clues to follow Abby Monroe to Pakistan and after some research, I decided to focus on my victim as a trafficking victim.

Why is it so important for people to know about this issue? 

Trafficking is a vicious problem that is all around us and yet, because the victims are mostly invisible to us – we just don’t notice them. These victims are people who’ve been snatched up at their most
vulnerable moments, and they are likely to be undocumented, young and afraid to find help. I hope that my novel will help to raise awareness of the issue.

2. What was your research process like for this book? 

I contacted a Boston area based trafficking awareness group – Not For Sale (www.notforsale.og) and spoke with them. They in turn put me in touch with a victim, who had been trafficked as a domestic worker. Her story was quite different from the stories I highlighted in “The Bracelet” and I turned to internet research – sites such as The Polaris Project, and internet videos and interviews to get a true picture of victims – to see how they would speak, sit, interact and tell their stories. I wanted to be true to the problem without exploiting the victims.

3. Who is your favorite character in "The Bracelet" and why? 

Probably Nick because he’s brash and bold and funny in a self-deprecating way. (And because he reminds me of an old boyfriend.)

4. What is your favorite part of "The Bracelet?"
 
I think my favorite is the one in which Abby goes in search of Nick the morning after her room at the UN house has been ransacked, and discovers him being beaten by two thugs in the alley. She demonstrated a remarkable and unexpected burst of strength and fearlessness in an effort to rescue Nick.

5. If you could choose three fictional characters to take with you to a deserted island, who would you choose and why? 

Great question! I would take the three main characters from “To Kill A Mockingbird”. Atticus – for his logical approach to solving problems, Jem and Scout for their sense of adventure, and if I could beg for a fourth – it would be Dill, the young summer visitor whose imagination and fanciful stories could entertain us endlessly.

Giveaway:

One lucky winner will win a copy of The Bracelet (US only). Just fill out the Rafflecopter form below!



a Rafflecopter giveaway