Purcell's Debut Novel "Trafficked" on Shelves February 16

NEW YORK, Feb. 8, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- "Trafficked," an unflinching look at human slavery, by novelist, journalist and teacher Kim Purcell, will go on sale on February 16, 2012. The novel is published by Viking, an imprint of the Penguin Group.

This ripped-from-the-headlines novel follows an orphan Moldovan teen's path from good student with friends and a promising future in her homeland, to a modern-day domestic slave working in a home in Los Angeles.

Purcell, a former journalist, was inspired to write "Trafficked" while she was teaching English as a second language to poor immigrants in Los Angeles. She visited Moldova, one of the poorest of these countries, where she gained insight into the lives of the many girls and women who are trafficked out of this country.

"I wanted to understand how anyone could get caught in this terrible situation," Purcell said. "As I learned of more stories of people who'd been trafficked, I saw that in almost every case, these people had chances to escape... And I realized that modern-day slaves weren't any different from many of us, really.  We are all stopped at times from doing things we want to do or things we should do because we're afraid."

Government reports estimate up to 17,500 (US Department of State, 2006) people are trafficked into the United States every year, and many are children and teens. Twenty percent of Kim's earnings from her novel will go to organizations that help trafficking victims. For information visit: http://kimpurcell.com/Help-Trafficked-Teens

About the Author
Purcell began her career as a radio beat reporter interviewing criminals and became interested in the trauma they experienced as children and teenagers. She then focused on writing novels while teaching English as a Second Language. She lives with her husband and two children in Westchester County near New York City. For more information visit www.kimpurcell.com.

Early Praise for "Trafficked":

"Riveting." –SLJ

"Chillingly credible and unflinchingly revealed...Hannah, compelling and believable, keeps readers focused on her plight and that of other de facto slaves worldwide. After this, readers won't find them so easy to ignore: One could be the nanny next door." –Kirkus Reviews

Publicist:
Deb Shapiro
E: [email protected];
P: 212-496-5808

SOURCE Kim Purcell