A heart-rending account of sexual slavery: My review of "Special Delivery" by Kathi Macias

Publisher: New Hope Publishers (March 6, 2012)


Special Delivery continues the story begun in Deliver Me From Evil, the story of Mara,the youngwoman who had been a victim of sexual slavery since her uncle brought her across the U.S. border from Mexico at the age of 6. Mara has now been free for a couple of years, and has found a job and a place to live and is trying to live a somewhat normal life. College-aged Jonathan and his younger sister Leah also return in this story, Jonathan having played a significant role in helping set Mara free from her sexual slavery and helping get her uncle convicted and sent to jail. Jonathan has never been able to forget Mara, and when their paths again cross, Jonathan must face the confusing feelings he holds for Mara, as he is torn between wanting to explore forming a relationship with her versus the reality that Mara is very emotionally damaged due to her past. A young Thai girl, Lawan, who was kidnapped and forced to work in a brothel, also returns in this story.

Kathi Macias excels at taking seemingly disconnected stories and weaving them together into a unified whole. The stories of Mara, Jonathan, Leah, and Lawan are completely engaging, and Macias has created characters who will long remain on my mind, ones that you cannot help but care about. The issue of sexual slavery is a sobering one, and it is distressing to read about accounts that, while fictional, are based on very real facts of what is occurring not only overseas but in our own backyards. I cannot imagine what those young children are feeling having to experience what they do.  Macias handles the subject matter with sensitivity and expertise, and you cannot help but be stirred to action after reading about the tragedies children are experiencing. She provides hope to the reader in showing how God is at work in seemingly hopeless situations, both in divine manners and through using his followers to fight evil.

The story is absolutely action-packed and difficult to put down, and those readers who enjoyed the first book in the series will no doubt be pleased with this second offering. I highly recommend this book and give it 4.5 out of 5 stars.

This review is based on an electronic copy provided by the publisher via netgalley for the purpose of completing this review.