Lurlene Messan

A Life-Changing Discovery Lurlene Messan

A story about a sex-trafficking ring is always going to be a difficult read and the opening is brutal and frightening, but there is also a mystery, planted at the beginning, to unravel. The author makes you think; the reader can't comprehend everything that's going on straight away and it's akin to the confusion Yalina feels when she comes around from her operation.

Whilst trying to re-connect with her brother, Yalina is tricked into becoming a sex slave and the title of the novel is taken from the way the girls arrive at their new home because there is 'safety under the stars'. There is a terrible sense of desperation at the situation, but 'red-haired Ruby with the booze and polka dot clothing' manages to get away and this offers Yalina hope. I love the importance of music in the narrative and how the piano becomes Yalina's salvation with the music moving from the ridiculous to the sublime. Yalina's body clings to the melodies with Rebecca sitting next to her on the piano stool whilst she plays - the importance of this image can only be fully appreciated at the end of Yalina's journey.