Cecil B dker paints a brilliant portrait of Malvina's journey from abused and speechless child-woman, nurtured by the love and care of inhabitants of The Water Farm, to the lion-hearted champion of other abused and speechless girls and women. And the rigid village power structure within which the abuse is systemic, mirrors uncannily our own contemporary political, social system. These stories of a woman who learns to stand and demand her own and the rights of others against their oppressors are not only inspiring, they are deeply relevant. Patricia Lee Lewis, author of A Kind of Yellow and High Lonesome