A Cry of The Heart: Human trafficking: One Survivor's True Story

by Debra Rush, Penelope Childers

Forced into sex trafficking as a teenager, Debra Rush makes a daring escape,then struggles for years with post-traumatic stress.A reluctant mentor supports Debra through the healing of her past. A commitment to save her friends leads to unexpected alliances. In forgiving those who betrayed her, she opens her heart and finds real love. Her true story proves no one is beyond redemption. Journey with Debra from despair to success and find a reason to hope.

204 pages, Kindle Edition

Published May 13, 2019

Reviews

[Connie · Rating 5 out of 5]

I had the pleasure of traveling with the co-author of this book, Penny. When she told me about it, I immediately downloaded it. This is a subject we all need to learn about. I thought the ones involved in human trafficking knew what they were doing & profiting from it. I was so glad to read about the other side of it - the victim side. Opened my eyes immensely. I have a whole new perspective & view on the subject. Thank you Penny & Debra for a much needed education!

[Victoria (hotcocoaandbooks) · Rating 4 out of 5]

I had been asked to read this a few years ago for the non-profit I am a part of, but I was unable to get to it back then, and to be honest, the two different covers I had seen just added to me not really taking the idea of the book seriously, granted, we had made a connection to the author through our partnering with organizations around the country and world. I should have read it when asked to, but hey, here I am.

Debra talks about what her upbringing was like growing up living back and forth between her loving Christian father and her drug addicted sex working mother. Due to her mother being in the lifestyle she was in, it caused Debra to eventually become a victim of human trafficking. She talks about how it took her quite a while to even understand that she did not choose the life for herself and was being sold into sex against her will by her trafficker/pimp. She talks about how God met her in the various stages of her life and how she often pushed Him away. She became so transformed and felt God leading her to create her own safe house and organization in California, helping her draw in connections with law enforcement, including someone who tried to help her when she was on the streets. It was a really good book. I found out that last year, one of Debra's daughters died (was shot) through the line of trafficking, and it must have been very hard on her.

I am always so glad to hear redemption stories and how God can rescue and heal the broken hearted and those who have lived such traumatic circumstances.

[Peggy · Rating 5 out of 5]

I don't typically read non-fiction simply because I don't generally enjoy it. This book, however, piqued my interest because I have supported or follow organizations like O.U.R., Shared Hope International, and SariBari India. It is so incredibly well-written (with the perfect amount of detail), thought-provoking, and engaging that I had a difficult time putting it down. I don't need to put any of the book details, as they are in the book description and Amazon reviews, but I loved that Debra is so open about her spiritual journey and the way God led her and directed others to her. There are so many organizations out there devoted to helping these survivors. If not Breaking the Chains, find another one and do something. You CAN make a difference in helping victims overcome this tragedy that occurs globally but more specifically in your town or city.

[Pauline White · Rating 5 out of 5]

Heart-rending

The continuing struggle of trafficked women seems never ending but at the very least there us now some help. On a YouTube website the story of another trafficked girl was told. She left the children's home to go back to her pimp who beat and tortured her. A man on the site asked why inspite of all she had told in the film about the abusive parents and all the hell of trafficking she said nothing about why she left a safe place and went back to her pimp, I understand now that safe means different things to the young

[Yvonne · Rating 5 out of 5]

In the book, A Cry of the Heart, Debra Rush and Penelope Childers held my attention from start to finish. They took me into the dark, gut-wrenching world of human sex trafficking, where I understood the grip a pimp has on women. I highly recommend this book to mothers, teachers, school counselors, librarians, lay counselors, therapists, and pastors.

Yvonne Ortega, Licensed Professional Counselor, Certified Coach
Author of the Moving from Broken to Beautiful Series

[Gina-Marie · Rating 5 out of 5]

A friend lent me the book, telling me I needed to read it. I am glad I did. It breaks my heart to think that girls and women in my community are being trafficked, exploited, and abused. This book is an eye opener.

[Ann Nahigian · Rating 4 out of 5]

There is always hope in Him for second chances!

[michelle ferguson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Brave lady

Really brave lady tells her inspirational story and how she is helping others. It is a book that will make you really think about these victims.

[Laura Weber · Rating 5 out of 5]

It's an eye-opener, and it brings you back to reality, where such things still happen to girls and women