Main Characters

Somaly: the writer and the main character of the story. The story is told from her perspective of the life that she lived as a child. She had three different names and was abused and raped by, what seemed to her, every man on the earth. Somaly is in this book because she is the narrator and the person who this book is about. She is the young girl that has been abused and also become a victum of prostitution.

Grandfather: Somaly's "care taker", he abuses Somaly and rapes her if she didnt get her the money she was supposed to get. He was Somaly's main care taker when she was a child, he made her buy him things and make money for him. She also had to sleep with him and when she didn't return home for the night the next morning she had to be prepared for a beating from him.

Mother/Father: takes care of Somaly as she becomes friends with their family, take her in for nights to "get" her away from Grandfather

Phanna- Daughter of mother and father. Somaly, while at the brothel, was aloud out so that she could go to her wedding. She gets married to a man the beats her and does not treat her right. Phanna is an example of a cambodian that had potential to do great things and be beautiful, but the cambodian life style destroyed her like it does to almost all of the women in the country.


Aunty Nop: A friend of Grandfather's, who is buys Somaly from him.

Aunty Peuve: she buys Somaly from Aunty Nop in order for her to work in the Brothel

Li: Ex-military, he beats all of the women who are working at the brothel. He is Aunty Peuve's husband

Dietrich- He is the one that rescues Somly from for the brothel. He asks her to move in with him and after much resistance she desides too. He takes care of her, feeds her, and gives her clothes. He is rich and from Switzerland.

Pierre- French man that is rugged and he is poor. Somaly likes him but then she gets hit from him and is put into her place. He opens up a restaurant and gives Somaly a job and $20 a month. He returns to France and brings Somaly with him. He never does things for her and says for her to figure things out on her own. This is a very important thing because Somaly learns to become more independent and when they finally return to Cambodia she stands up for herself and helps all of the cambodian prostitutes. The two got a divorce in 2006.

Guillaume- Friend of Dietrich, took Somaly in after Dietrich left her, he never raped her but took care of her and treated her like a man should.