Novels Now

The Blue Notebook
By James A. Levine
Completed April 11, 2009

The Blue Notebook was one of the most eloquent but haunting books I have read in a long time. It’s the story of Batuk, a 15-year-old prostitute, whose father sold her into sexual slavery when she was nine. Living in a brothel in India, Batuk took up writing as a therapeutic way to deal with the abuse in her life.

The author, Dr. James Levine, is a highly renowned Mayo Clinic physician, who was inspired to write The Blue Notebook after a visit to India. There, he met a young prostitute on the streets who was writing in a notebook, and Dr. Levine spent time talking to this young girl about her life. Thus, the character of Batuk was born.

Batuk left nothing to the imagination in this narrative. The reader learned every detail about her rapes, physical assaults and sexual encounters. Admittedly, it was hard to read about Batuk’s life because she endured such horrors, and the idea of it happening to a child make it harder to bear.

Despite the tragedies, Batuk’s sense of humor and wit made the other parts of the narrative very enjoyable. She was a delightful character. Stories of her childhood provided glimpses into Batuk’s life before she became a prostitute – when she was innocent and fearless. It, however, illuminated Batuk’s tragedies even more.

This book will make many readers uncomfortable, as it should, but it’s an important book because the horrors in Batuk’s life are happening now to girls and boys around the world. If you have the stomach for it, I would highly recommend The Blue Notebook. Additionally, proceeds from the sale of this book will benefit the International and National Centers for Missing and Exploited Children. Thanks to Dr. Levine for being so generous with his creativity and funding – you can tell this is a subject matter near and dear to him. And after reading The Blue Notebook, I believe it will become important to you too. ( )