The Blue Notebook, James A. Levine
The Blue Notebook, James A. Levine
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The Blue Notebook

Author: James A. Levine

Narrator: Meera Simhan

Unabridged: 7 hr 20 min

Format: Digital Audiobook Download

Published: 07/07/2009


Synopsis

Dear Reader:

Every now and then, we come across a novel that moves us like no other, that seems like a miracle of the imagination, and that haunts us long after the book is closed. James Levine’s The Blue Notebook is that kind of book. It is the story of Batuk, an Indian girl who is taken to Mumbai from the countryside and sold into prostitution by her father; the blue notebook is her diary, in which she recalls her early childhood, records her life on the Common Street, and makes up beautiful and fantastic tales about a silver-eyed leopard and a poor boy who fells a giant with a single gold coin.

How did Levine, a British-born doctor at the Mayo Clinic, manage to conjure the voice of a fifteen-year-old female Indian prostitute? It all began, he told me, when, as part of his medical research, he was interviewing homeless children on a street in Mumbai known as the Street of Cages, where child prostitutes work. A young woman writing in a notebook outside her cage caught Levine’s attention. The powerful image of a young prostitute engaged in the act of writing haunted him, and he himself began to write.

The Blue Notebook brings us into the life of a young woman for whom stories are not just entertainment but a means of survival. Even as the novel humanizes and addresses the devastating global issue of child prostitution, it also delivers an inspiring message about the uplifting power of words and reading–a message that is so important to hold on to, especially in difficult times. Dr. Levine is donating all his U.S. proceeds from this book to help exploited children. Batuk’s story can make a difference.

Sincerely,

Celina Spiegel
Publisher

About The Author

James A. Levine, a professor of medicine at the Mayo Clinic, is a world-renowned scientist, doctor, and researcher. He lives in Oronoco, Minnesota.


Reviews

Goodreads review by Tea on March 22, 2013

Džejms Levin, lekar s klinike Mejo, dobio je inspiraciju da napiše ovaj potresan i zastrašujući roman razgovarajući s decom beskućnicima u Mumbaiju, u okviru svog medicinskog istraživanja. U Ulici kaveza, gde su deca prostitutke bukvalno zatvorena u kaveze (a njihovi „nadzornici“ ih zlostavljaju i u......more

Goodreads review by Maria on January 14, 2024

Jurnalul albastru spune povestea teribilă și cutremurătoare a unei fetițe indiene, vândută de tatăl ei si forțată să devină prostituată. Batuk se foloseste de puterea imaginației și a scrisului pentru a-și depăși existența tragică și a face față situației în care se află, astfel că sub forma unui ju......more

Goodreads review by Ismail on December 08, 2017

Batuk, the protagonist, was a real child prostitute living in Mumbai, India, and this book is her journal, translated into flawless and engrossing prose by Dr. Levine. I found it very hard to finish this book, but thankfully, it's only 200 pages. I had to skim most of it for the vivid descriptions o......more

Goodreads review by Denisa on January 23, 2020

What a heartfelt story!!! So sad, so deep, so ugly, but so wonderful amazing one! Ugly because of the subject, the entire story, the filthy ugly human beings - except some pure ones. Oh, there is no wonder about the orphans why they are so bad, so aggressive, so animalic...they are raised and treate......more

Goodreads review by Kathy on August 07, 2010

I wish I liked this book more. It's the story of a 9 year old girl sold into prostitution in the filthy slums of Mumbai by her parents. Batuk narrates her story and records her grim experiences in a blue notebook. This novel was inspired by the author's experiences interviewing homeless children in......more


Quotes

Praise for The Blue Notebook

The Blue Notebook is a deeply moving story and a searing reminder of the resilience of the human spirit. It is a tribute to how writing can give meaning and help one transcend even the most harrowing circumstances. The voice of Batuk, the unforgettable child prostitute heroine, will stay with the reader a long, long time.”—Khaled Hosseini, author of The Kite Runner and A Thousand Splendid Suns

“James A. Levine's The Blue Notebook tugged at my heart and opened my eyes. Levine's fictional protagonist, Batuk, stands shoulder to shoulder with the iconic Anne Frank, another brave young girl whose innocence was annihilated but whose spirit prevailed and whose gift to the world was the written testimony she left behind. To read The Blue Notebook is to bear witness, something we must do if we are to create a world that rejects the exploitation of children and creates a world where they can be safe.” —Wally Lamb, author of The Hour I First Believed