I wanted to show what that looks like and what it’s like for the people in the family who have to live with it. We live in an angry world - road rage, people unable to handle their emotions. Keeping that humor as part of her was quite a task for me.Īnna’s father has nager issues. And she’s funny - I can’t write a main character who isn’t funny. This takes a toll on her - she’s not a hero in a cape, but she’s a true hero who keeps going despite fear and her life challenges. She’s the kind of kid who will take on the tough jobs and not give up until she gets them done. It was hard - I kept thinking of new things to give her - I wanted her to have an “emotional toolbox” not just of courage, but of true character and love for people, this wild and crazy talent, and a sense of responsibility in working hard and helping people. Was it hard to create a character like this? Bit by bit, it all came together.Īnna is a very complex character - she’s funny, she’s emotional, she’s wildly talented, she has panic attacks. I combed through court records about traffickers who had been brought to justice in this country and learned how nail salons can be a place where women are forced to work for little or no money. I spoke with counselors and with Homeland Security personnel. That was the impetus for me to begin Tell Me.Ī great deal.

Then I attended an event at the Writers Guild of America East (WGAE) and learned about Homeland Security’s role in bringing traffickers to justice. When I heard that story, I knew I had to write about this issue, but I wasn’t sure how.

A girl who lived next door kept wondering if she was okay and finally went to the authorities, and this little girl was set free.

My friend Marie told me the story of a young girl who was a worker slave in a prosperous house in the Midwest - she didn’t go to school and she looked bedraggled. I have two friends who are counselors for women at risk and they both counsel trafficked women, helping them start new lives. Tell Me is a story pulled from the headlines, about a girl who sees something and says something.

Tell me by joan bauer