Ecuador

The Queen of Water
by Laura Resau and Maria Virginia Farinango

Based on the author's own life, this is a story of survival and, eventually, success. Sold into slavery at the age of seven, Virginia's identity is tested by abuse and exploitation. Forbidden to use her native language, she gradually loses the ability to speak it, leading to a heartbreaking realisation in the process of trying to uncover the reason her mother rejected her.

Random House, 2011
ISBN 9780375859632