Lydia’s quiet expat life in Cambodia is dramatically turned upside down by the sudden arrival of Song, a young and vulnerable Vietnamese girl, and the flattering romantic attentions of a handsome, dashing local man. Just as she settles into this new-found happiness, everything is shattered as Song is kidnapped and sold into the child sex trade. Broken, Lydia returns to the UK, confirmed in her doubts about ‘God’, only to find the most unexpected guest on her doorstep one night many years later with the most incredible story to tell of hope lost and innocence restored.
Katherine Blessan is the author of Lydia’s Song — a loyal friend, wife, mother of two beautiful boys, English teacher, follower of Jesus, international traveller, and avid reader.
My Impressions:
Katherine Blessan’s debut novel, Lydia’s Song is obviously a work of passion for the author. The difficult subject of child sex-trafficking is combined with the message of God’s grace and healing power. Told from the perspectives of a British ex-pat and a Vietnamese girl living in Cambodia, this novel is not an easy or gentle read. The trauma is real, the emotions are raw, and the truth is not sugar-coated. Blessan is a British novelist, so some of the language and scenes are not those typically seen in American Christian fiction. The writing is a bit uneven, and I would have liked more in the way of character development and more showing rather than telling. But it is easy to see the author’s heart in every page.
Audience: adults.
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(Thanks to the author for a review copy. All opinions expressed are mine alone.)
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