Rate this book

Klokkenluider In Bosnië (2000)

by Kathryn Bolkovac(Favorite Author)

3.79 of 5 Votes: 2

languge

English

genre

Memoir & Autobiography

publisher

Kok

review 1: I recall when these allegations first starting popping up in the press; I was stunned to hear the apologists who were quick to deny there was any wrongdoing by the UN forces, or that any case of abuse that came up was just the very rare exception, and in no way widespread or part of a concerted effort, so I was glad to come across this book during a recent trip to the library.The story, the lesson, needs to be shouted from the rooftops, but the execution left a bit to be desired. It didn't flow very well, and didn't give a good feeling for Bolkovac, other than as a well respected cop from Nebraska and a few other tidbits thrown in. Her time in Bosnia was largely reduced to the bureaucracy she encountered, and there was little of the stories of the Bosnia people she interac... moreted with, the culture, and as such the events almost seemed to happen in a vacuum; even her romance with Jan, another UN member, is glossed over and yet it plays a part in her story. It seems a bit dry, clinical, and lacking in warmth that could really cause it to have a greater impact. The tragedy is that DynCorp is now headquartered overseas and so can avoid US law, it still is the main contractor sending US law enforcement to assist in peacekeeping, and the players that were roundly discredited by her evidence in a British lawsuit are still power players. Score yet another one for big government wasting money and having poor oversight.Rather than it being a triumphant book, there is no real positive change. Those guilty have been untouched, DynCorp itself got a monetary slap on the wrist, and it seems they are still using the poor hiring practices that allowed unqualified people to enter the programme. There is no justice for the women enslaved, and no locking up of the bad guys and throwing away the key. It's a pity, and a poor commentary on our current climate that things like steroids in baseball seem to have received more time in front of Congress than a serious issue like human trafficking.In summary - a story that needs to be told, but the execution falls short.
review 2: I'm only halfway through the book, and while it's an interesting look at what happens in other countries, I am somewhat annoyed by something that keeps coming up.First it is mentioned that trafficking victims are not like prostitutes. Which is true - some times, and in some ways.Then when she talks about the last visit from her daughter, Erin, she talks about how her daughter sits in on a training class she gives to new recruits and how her daughter is shocked and is glad she lives in a country where this sort of thing doesn't happen.Here's the thing though: It happens in America. A lot. Not only in the "conventional" way (for lack of better wording) where girls get brought in from other countries, but girls are abducted here as well. More often, children enter prostitution because they feel they have no other options. They've run away from home to flee a bad/abusive situation, where within 48 hours one third of those runaways will be approached by a pimp. Very rarely will he introduce himself as a pimp - he's a nice guy who just wants to offer her a safe place to sleep and food. These children are vulnerable, and pimps know this. They take advantage and they manipulate them and they are victims of trafficking as well.Again, I'm not done with the book, so maybe this issue will be addressed later on in the book, and if it is I'll come back and edit my review. But I did have to say something, because I am assuming anyone reading this book is interested in the issue of human trafficking and certain parts of this book are close minded in my opinion.Anyone who would like to read more about the human trafficking issue in the United States should check out a book called Girls Like Us by Rachel Lloyd or another one called Somebody's Daughter (I can't remember who that one is by) less

Download links for: Klokkenluider in Bosnië

Advertising