THE COURAGE OF ELFINA

Jacob (Le Journal de guerre d'Emilio, 2012, etc.) and Delezenne (The Little Yellow Bottle, 2010, etc.) team up for this fictionalized first-person account of human trafficking and forced labor.

Elfina lives on the margins in Paraguay. After her mother’s death, Elfina lives with her grandmother and younger brother in a small village while their father works on as a migrant farm worker in Brazil. An opportunity to continue her education in the capital of Asunción while living in the household of her Aunt Evoala sends Elfina away from home. Soon she is moving even farther away from her roots as Aunt Evoala’s family relocates to Montréal. The promise of an education is soon revealed to be a lie as Elfina stays home and is forced to work as a housekeeper and errand girl for the household while her cousins continue to go to school. Elfina summons the courage to escape the house and report what has been happening. Elfina’s courage, curiosity, and work ethic make her an admirable heroine; through her story, the statistics on human trafficking and forced child labor are given urgency and vibrancy that are difficult to ignore. Backmatter includes more information on the plight of children in similar situations, including further reading, though one wishes opportunities to help were also presented.

A deceptively short read that casts needed light on a dark and dehumanizing practice.