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Somebody's Daughter: Inside an International Prostitution Ring
A stunning exposé of prostitution in Canada, where a criminal syndicate traffics young women across the country, selling their bodies and murdering them at will. Annie Mae Wilson was nineteen years old on the night she died. After five years working the streets of Nova Scotia, she had found a new pimp and cut ties with supermarket bag boy Bruno, who had called himself her man. Bruno was furious and demanded to be compensated. When Annie Mae refused, he lost his temper and killed her with a single punch. People like Bruno call prostitution “The Game,” and Annie Mae lost. Annie Mae was one of twenty-two prostitutes killed in Canada in 1992, victims of an oppressive system of terror and violence that often leads to addiction, rape, and death. In this groundbreaking piece of investigative journalism, Annie Mae’s story is finally told, along with those of other young women caught in the vice of prostitution. Impeccably researched and engagingly written, this true crime account from veteran reporter Phonse Jessome approaches a difficult subject without judgment. Relying on first-person testimony from prostitutes and their pimps, Jessome explores a side of modern life that few people have seen but which no one can afford to ignore.
614 pages, Kindle Edition
Published June 28, 2016
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71 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews
June 15, 2016
3.5
Disclaimer: ARC via Netgalley
Recently there has been much debate about what the correct response to prostitution should be. Should sex work be made legal? Should the buying of intercourse be outlawed but not the selling? A total ban perhaps?
I don’t know. My opinion changes and changes. And damn, I don’t know.
One thing that practically everyone can agree on, at least I hope so, is that underage prostitution needs to end. Though detailing a case from the mid-1990s, Jessome’s Somebody’s Daughter is a good example of way this should be so.
Jessome’s book details the investigation into a prostitution/trafficking ring that funneled girls from Nova Scotia and other areas into Montreal and Toronto. The ring was controlled largely by men from the Halifax area. Jessome is mostly concerned with following the outcome of the investigation as well as the struggles of some of the young girls to leave prostitution behind. He also chronicles how the young girls became prostitutes and what their lives were like while in “The Game”.
While Jessome does present a brief outline of the rise of prostitution in the area, and hints at the vast amount of money that can be earned, the focus is primary on the more personal stories. This is hardly surprising because personal stories have an impact that raw statics do not have. I did find myself wishing at times that I had better grasp of the finical situation. How much in raw numbers did the various women in each “stable “bring in, for instance. That aside, Jessome’s writing is gripping. He does not make the young girls into hapless and passive victims. The ones that he chooses to follow come from varying circumstances, so you are not hearing the same stories over and over again.
Disclaimer: ARC via Netgalley
Recently there has been much debate about what the correct response to prostitution should be. Should sex work be made legal? Should the buying of intercourse be outlawed but not the selling? A total ban perhaps?
I don’t know. My opinion changes and changes. And damn, I don’t know.
One thing that practically everyone can agree on, at least I hope so, is that underage prostitution needs to end. Though detailing a case from the mid-1990s, Jessome’s Somebody’s Daughter is a good example of way this should be so.
Jessome’s book details the investigation into a prostitution/trafficking ring that funneled girls from Nova Scotia and other areas into Montreal and Toronto. The ring was controlled largely by men from the Halifax area. Jessome is mostly concerned with following the outcome of the investigation as well as the struggles of some of the young girls to leave prostitution behind. He also chronicles how the young girls became prostitutes and what their lives were like while in “The Game”.
While Jessome does present a brief outline of the rise of prostitution in the area, and hints at the vast amount of money that can be earned, the focus is primary on the more personal stories. This is hardly surprising because personal stories have an impact that raw statics do not have. I did find myself wishing at times that I had better grasp of the finical situation. How much in raw numbers did the various women in each “stable “bring in, for instance. That aside, Jessome’s writing is gripping. He does not make the young girls into hapless and passive victims. The ones that he chooses to follow come from varying circumstances, so you are not hearing the same stories over and over again.
September 3, 2018
Originally written in 1996 by Nova Scotia journalist Phonse Jessome, this book is about a prostitution ring with its roots in Nova Scotia (the ring was referred to as the "Scotians") in the early 1990s, which prompted a police task force to be formed in Halifax to combat this issue.
Young girls either willingly or were forced into prostitution (the "Game") and many of their pimps were from North Preston, which is just outside of Halifax, Nova Scotia. Many of the girls who went into it willingly thought they had no other choice ... they had no education and came from abusive homes where love was shown through beatings ... and this was the only way to make money. Others were seduced by a pimp who made them think they were a couple and she was helping them make a better life by doing it. Regardless they soon found out that their pimp was in control and there was no way to escape the life, even if they wanted to. If they stepped out of line, they learned a lesson through vicious beatings. Girls were regularly moved from Halifax to Toronto, Montreal and other places and sold among the other pimps.
With this book, I learned a lot about the issue of prostitution and pimps. Some girls enjoy the lifestyle while others have no choice but to stay in it because they feel they have no other options, they are terrified to leave and/and can't afford the "fee" to their pimp to buy their freedom. The book follows the lives of Annie Mae, Stacey, Taunya, Gizelle and others ... how they ended up involved, how/if they tried to get out and their status as a couple years after the task force had been set up.
Despite the subject matter, I liked the writing style and found this book interesting. The editing could have been tighter as there were typos (it's too bad these weren't picked up when it was rereleased ten years later). As a head's up, there is swearing and obviously violence.
Blog review post: http://www.teenaintoronto.com/2018/09...
Young girls either willingly or were forced into prostitution (the "Game") and many of their pimps were from North Preston, which is just outside of Halifax, Nova Scotia. Many of the girls who went into it willingly thought they had no other choice ... they had no education and came from abusive homes where love was shown through beatings ... and this was the only way to make money. Others were seduced by a pimp who made them think they were a couple and she was helping them make a better life by doing it. Regardless they soon found out that their pimp was in control and there was no way to escape the life, even if they wanted to. If they stepped out of line, they learned a lesson through vicious beatings. Girls were regularly moved from Halifax to Toronto, Montreal and other places and sold among the other pimps.
With this book, I learned a lot about the issue of prostitution and pimps. Some girls enjoy the lifestyle while others have no choice but to stay in it because they feel they have no other options, they are terrified to leave and/and can't afford the "fee" to their pimp to buy their freedom. The book follows the lives of Annie Mae, Stacey, Taunya, Gizelle and others ... how they ended up involved, how/if they tried to get out and their status as a couple years after the task force had been set up.
Despite the subject matter, I liked the writing style and found this book interesting. The editing could have been tighter as there were typos (it's too bad these weren't picked up when it was rereleased ten years later). As a head's up, there is swearing and obviously violence.
Blog review post: http://www.teenaintoronto.com/2018/09...
February 29, 2024
A prostitution ring based around Halifax Nova Scotia and the RCMP that is tasked with shutting it down is investigated in this book. This book is not for the faint of heart. Descriptions of beatings and rape are graphic and hard to bear. As it is, I could only read this in small doses in between other books i'm working on.
It's well detailed and thorough. Recommended if you like true graphic crime a la Law & Order: SVU.
It's well detailed and thorough. Recommended if you like true graphic crime a la Law & Order: SVU.
June 28, 2016
Somebody's Daughter Somebody's Daughter is the story of a prostitution ring, based in Nova Scotia, Canada. It opens with the murder of a nineteen year old prostitute, and concludes with the pimps who ran the rings being convicted for their crimes. It's a harrowing look into "The Game", and the lives of people caught up in it.
Somebody's Daughter was first released in 1996, and as such, is rather outdated. However, the fact that child prostitution is a problem is still relevant today. Perhaps even more so than twenty years ago. Somebody's Daughter follows a number of girls through their lives in "The Game", as it's called by the people involved with it.
The book starts with the murder of nineteen year old Annie Mae Wilson, who was trying to switch pimps. Her current pimp was angered, and killed Annie Mae. It also follows her fellow girls Stacey Jackson and Taunya Terriault, among others.
It's also the story of two task forces, created to help end these prostitution rings, and help the girls re-acclimate to the "Straight World." These stings, called Operation Heart and Operation Hectic, were rather successful in their intentions. They helped girls escape the Game, and put their pimps behind bars. The police worked at making friends with the girls, giving them options that many of them didn't know they had. Not only of help leaving the game, but trust for people who aren't part of the family that the pimps created for the girls.
Part of the success of these operations was in treating the girls as people. They weren't referred to as sluts, whores, or criminals. They were young women, who were victims of their pimps. And the police worked to let the girls know that they weren't interested in charging the girls with prostitution, or bringing them to jail. The police were more concerned with jailing the pimps. Which looks to be a much more successful way of combating a prostitution ring. It helps girls escape the violence and rape at the hands of their pimps. Which is essential for the well being of the girls.
There is a chapter dedicated to the what steps were taken to help keep the girls off the streets. From going to reform schools, women's shelters, and the quite successful location of the Sullivan House. A secure facility that served multiple purposes, including keeping the girls safe from retribution from others in the Game.
Somebody's Daughter wasn't a particularly easy read, there is some very explicit violence, murder, rape, and psychological torture. It's also not one of those "light" reading books. It's a deep book, filled with facts, police presence, and insight into how a prostitution ring works, and how to bring it down. It's a lot of information to digest, but is written in a manner that is easy to digest and read. I'll recommend it, but it requires a specific audience. I enjoyed it, and it will appeal to fans of true crime novels, true crime non-fic, police procedurals, and informational non-fic.
Somebody's Daughter: Inside an International Prostitution RingPhonse JessomePublisher: MysteriousPress.com/Open Road (June 28, 2016)Publication Date: June 28, 2016Sold by: Amazon Digital Services LLCLanguage: EnglishASIN: B01GR10MOO
Somebody's Daughter was first released in 1996, and as such, is rather outdated. However, the fact that child prostitution is a problem is still relevant today. Perhaps even more so than twenty years ago. Somebody's Daughter follows a number of girls through their lives in "The Game", as it's called by the people involved with it.
The book starts with the murder of nineteen year old Annie Mae Wilson, who was trying to switch pimps. Her current pimp was angered, and killed Annie Mae. It also follows her fellow girls Stacey Jackson and Taunya Terriault, among others.
It's also the story of two task forces, created to help end these prostitution rings, and help the girls re-acclimate to the "Straight World." These stings, called Operation Heart and Operation Hectic, were rather successful in their intentions. They helped girls escape the Game, and put their pimps behind bars. The police worked at making friends with the girls, giving them options that many of them didn't know they had. Not only of help leaving the game, but trust for people who aren't part of the family that the pimps created for the girls.
Part of the success of these operations was in treating the girls as people. They weren't referred to as sluts, whores, or criminals. They were young women, who were victims of their pimps. And the police worked to let the girls know that they weren't interested in charging the girls with prostitution, or bringing them to jail. The police were more concerned with jailing the pimps. Which looks to be a much more successful way of combating a prostitution ring. It helps girls escape the violence and rape at the hands of their pimps. Which is essential for the well being of the girls.
There is a chapter dedicated to the what steps were taken to help keep the girls off the streets. From going to reform schools, women's shelters, and the quite successful location of the Sullivan House. A secure facility that served multiple purposes, including keeping the girls safe from retribution from others in the Game.
Somebody's Daughter wasn't a particularly easy read, there is some very explicit violence, murder, rape, and psychological torture. It's also not one of those "light" reading books. It's a deep book, filled with facts, police presence, and insight into how a prostitution ring works, and how to bring it down. It's a lot of information to digest, but is written in a manner that is easy to digest and read. I'll recommend it, but it requires a specific audience. I enjoyed it, and it will appeal to fans of true crime novels, true crime non-fic, police procedurals, and informational non-fic.
Somebody's Daughter: Inside an International Prostitution RingPhonse JessomePublisher: MysteriousPress.com/Open Road (June 28, 2016)Publication Date: June 28, 2016Sold by: Amazon Digital Services LLCLanguage: EnglishASIN: B01GR10MOO
June 26, 2016
A journalistic account of prostitution and trafficking out of Nova Scotia in the early '90s, mostly centered on underage cases. The author tells detailed stories about how several of the women fell into prostitution and horribly damaging and senseless relationships with pimps, and these personal elements made a strong impact. The subject matter is compelling if confounding, how could these young women, even from difficult backgrounds, get involved in this industry that makes zero economic sense for them and brings with it so much neverending awfulness? The author made a good effort to explore some of this reasoning and provide context in the cases as to why the women made some of the choices they did, and I liked that aspect of the reporting.
In general, it's interesting and moves quickly so it's a fast read, but in the sections of personal narratives I got a little bored reading the step by step progression of a scene in excruciating detail, including uncomfortably dated dialogue and too much straightforward description that didn't add much to the scene or story. And in the sections where the author relates statistics, the police task force working to rehabilitate the women and prosecute the traffickers/pimps, their trials, and basic information about the industry itself, it felt way too dry and just a tiny bit preachy.
And since it was originally published in 1996, some of the content and dialogue feels dated. Would have been interesting to read some kind of update on how the book's events relate to the current situation in the same area. Interesting and important concept nonetheless, and I learned things, which is always worthwhile.
Digital advance copy provided courtesy of the publisher and Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
In general, it's interesting and moves quickly so it's a fast read, but in the sections of personal narratives I got a little bored reading the step by step progression of a scene in excruciating detail, including uncomfortably dated dialogue and too much straightforward description that didn't add much to the scene or story. And in the sections where the author relates statistics, the police task force working to rehabilitate the women and prosecute the traffickers/pimps, their trials, and basic information about the industry itself, it felt way too dry and just a tiny bit preachy.
And since it was originally published in 1996, some of the content and dialogue feels dated. Would have been interesting to read some kind of update on how the book's events relate to the current situation in the same area. Interesting and important concept nonetheless, and I learned things, which is always worthwhile.
Digital advance copy provided courtesy of the publisher and Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews