Every Captive Freed by B.D. Lawrence, Shannon McNear, and Angela Shelton Review

Every Captive Freed is a powerful collection of three novellas that focus on human trafficking. There are two contemporaty stories and one historical story that delve into the horrible trials of slavery. But they also share hope. 

Sara's Story by B.D. Lawrence is about a young girl who was being shuffled between foster homes, feeling unloved, and seeking out love, but sadly finds herself being pulled deeper and deeper into the world of sex trafficking. We know she escapes as the story is told from her point as she tells it to another girl who is pulled from its clutches. Though we see the horror she lives through over the years, there is nothing graphic. And most importantly, there is hope, the hope found in Jesus. 

Streams of the Heart by Shannon McNear is the one historical novella. It is told from the point of view of Sacagewea, the native American who I knew was a guide to Lewis and Clark on their expedition in the 1800s to the Pacific Ocean. There was so much more I did not know. I didn't realize she had been captured by another tribe at a young age and ended up in slavery, and then ended up forced into marriage to a French Canadian fur trader.  I enjoyed reading her story and learning more about this expedition, but also getting to see what her thoughts and emotions might have been as she joined them. I also found the POV of Clark to be fascinating. 

Unbroken by Angela Shelton is the final story in this collection. Nova is a teenage athlete who becomes infatuated with a guy who is just a bit older than her. Or so she thinks. Though she has a loving mom and a best friend whose family is like a second family to her, she is still craving love and attention. She realizes too late that she didn't heed advice she should have, and finds herself captured, on her way to being sold into sex trafficking. I love that she remains strong and persistant, and doesn't give up trying to save herself and another girl who is with her. I found it intriguing and disturbing that this story had parts that were taken from real events. Again, the story was told with no graphic details. 

This collection comes together nicely. I liked that there was a less disturbing tale in the middle to break apart the stories that were really hard to read. These stories show how important it is to be aware of what is going on. Not easy reads, but definitely eye opening. Highly recommended. 

I received a copy of this book from the publisher and was not required to write a favorable review. These are my own honest thoughts.