The
Ones that Disappeared is another brilliant piece of work by the author the 2017 ABIA winner, The Bone Sparrow, which was also shortlisted for the Carnegie
Medal. Zana Fraillon has drawn attention to the most concerning issue of modern
day slavery, the worst in the world’s history.
The spotlight brings into focus,
those nameless, voiceless beings - trafficked people, mainly children, that
disappear without a trace daily around the world. Slavery is today the ‘fastest
growing criminal industry in the world, generating over $150 billion a year’.
Esra, Miran, and Isa are the initial voices of the
story; voices filled with strength, optimism and hope, although they have
witnessed the brutal and horrendous outcome of disobeying orders, or trying to
escape slavery.
They survive by daily recounting their memories, and by
nurturing the certainty that they will escape and return to their families and
love. The entrance of Skeet, the fourth main character, lightens the dark the
other three lives project.
When a miraculous opportunity to flee from certain
death presents itself, the children take it. But Miran is caught and brutally
bashed. He is admitted to a hospital under heavy guard, but even then, there is
no escape. The other two children team up with Skeet, who leaves his home and
drunken mother, to lead them in their search for Miran and freedom.
This is a heartbreaking and disturbing look at a
global issue that is under-addressed due to its overwhelming size and growth. Fraillon has created a superb story, based on
well-research statistics that are frightening.
Her unique style, interwoven
with compassion, humanity and a strong voice, dares the reader to remain unmoved,
which is impossible. The Author’s Note states ‘it is estimated that there are over 30 million people currently
enslaved, and that more than a quarter of these are children’.
Title:
The Ones That Disappeared
Author:
Zana Fraillon
Publisher:
Hachette $19.99
Publication
Date: June 2017
Format:
Paperback
ISBN:
9780734417152
For
ages: 10+
Type: Middle Fiction
