Cali’s Hope  by John Matthew Walker

This is a short book. Only fifty pages. This story has no justice, no vengeance, and no redemption. So, why read it? If you’ve read Moonlight Awakens, it’s the prequel to that book in which we learn about Cali, a character introduced about half-way through Moonlight Awakens. If you haven’t read Moonlight Awakens, then after reading this story, you have to read it, otherwise, you’re left without the hope of the title for poor Cali.

Cali is an orphaned girl living in India who has been sold into a life of sexual slavery by her father after her mother dies. This story is a realistic view of sex trafficking in countries outside of the United States. Walker dives into the mind of this young girl, who is somewhere between nine and fourteen, though looks closer to nine. Though her life is a hellish nightmare, she clings to hope that someday things will be better for her. But through the course of this story, we wonder how and why she clings to this hope.

Cali is taken to places she never dreamed of. The hope she clings to rises and falls. It’s difficult to read if we have any compassion at all, but it’s important to read so we understand the devastation that sex trafficking causes around the world.

Again, if you’ve read Moonlight Awakens, then this story will give you some background into this wonderful little girl. If not, then I recommend you read this novella first, then immediately read Moonlight Awakens, which was the third ranked book I read in 2021. You can read the full review of that book here.

One thing I wonder about is why Walker didn’t make the last scene of this story match more closely to the scene in Moonlight Awakens where Michael first encounters Cali. The scene of them locking eyes would have been a more powerful ending to Cali’s Hope.

You can get this story for free by signing up for John Matthew Walker’s mailing list here. Or you can purchase it on Amazon for $0.99 for the ebook. Paperback is also available.

Though dark and gritty, this is a clean read. No profanity, no on page sex, and no gratuitous violence. The ranking below is mostly indicative of the length. Another good read this year. Keeping the streak alive.

1. The Record Keeper by Charles Martin
2. The Samaritan’s Patient by Chevron Ross
3. The Maid by Nita Prose
4. A Vanishing Act by Edwina Kiernan
5. Cali’s Hope by John Matthew Walker

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