Hidden Girl by Shyima Hall with Lisa Wysocky

Hidden Girl: the true story of a modern-day child slave, Shyima Hall with Lisa Wysocki. New York: Simon & Schuster for Young Readers, 2014.


Shyima was a child in Egypt born in poverty. When her sister stole money from the family that she was "working" for, Shyima's parents surrendered her to that family. Shyima was ten years old. She was taken from the slums to Cairo, Egypt. "The Mom and The Dad" had a grand house and other servants. Something happened and everything changed. Shyima migrated to Orange County, California with the family-- there were also two boys. Once in the United States, Shyima was the only servant/slave. She slept in a constructed hidden small box of a room inside the garage of the expensive condo. She was not allowed to go to school. Her clothes were rags. She had to wash them by hand. Her life sucked badly.

Things were dismal for several years. Shyima came into freedom. Today she is a citizen of the United States. She has come a very long way.

sapphoq reviews says: A heart-wrenching book with a powerful message. I learned something about how to be more observant of those domestic slaves which may indeed be hiding in plain sight. Highly recommended for tweens, teens, and adults.