I KICK AND I FLY Ruchira Gupta

Actor and political activist Ashley Judd testifies that this book is essential reading for anyone interested in how to empower girls to break free from intergenerational prostitution and sex trafficking.

As a young journalist, author Ruchira Gupta spent considerable time hiking through the hills of Nepal, visiting numerous villages from where girls went missing, to be sold across the border to brothels in India. Moved by this injustice, she created an Emmy award-winning documentary The Selling of Innocents.

Now Ruchira’s debut YA book I Kick and I Fly will be available in bookstores April 18. It is a story of a girl in Bihar, India, who escapes the sex trade when a local hostel owner helps her to understand the value of her body through Kung Fu. Through martial arts, she learns that her body isn’t an object to be commoditized and preyed upon, but a medium to protect herself and those around her. The story sees her start as a Kung Fu champ in Bihar and ends in Queens, New York.

AUTHOR’S NOTE:

I wrote “I Kick and I Fly” because it is important for young people to deal with difficult topics, even if painful, in a hopeful and age-appropriate way. My story is based on the truth and the hope that I experienced through my NGO, Apne Aap. “I Kick and I Fly” is a tool for parents, teachers, and young people to talk about issues that matter in their lives but are invisible.

SEEMA’S VIEW :

The book takes a hard look at sex trafficking, the largest organized crime in the world targeting young children. A story of resilience, it reveals how elements like body shaming, bullying and commoditization can be fought back. A fantastic debut with an inspiring story.