Love to the Rescue by Marina Kurban

What an extraordinary real-life story! Marina Kurban was only seven years old when the Soviet Union collapsed, causing terrible economic suffering for people living in Tajikistan. Her family wasn’t immune to this. Her mother was already working two jobs to provide for her children, but now she made the impossible decision to sell her body to care for her kids. This helped put food on the table, but caused irrevocable emotional damage to them.  

From that time on, Marina was exposed to almost daily danger, as men visited the family home while her mother worked there as a prostitute. It was only when Marina was older that she realised the truth of the situation. The streets weren’t safe, her home wasn’t safe, and by the age of fourteen, Marina was an angry adolescent on the verge of destruction. However, some individuals reached out to her, which altered the course of her life. From brokenness came hope, and from kindness from others came a new life and new opportunities.

Today, Marina is the founder of Invest in a Life, a not-for-profit organisation that builds safe houses for people vulnerable to exploitation and abuse. She is happily married with children. But the pathway from a vulnerable child to a confident woman with purpose is raw, remarkable and an inspiration for anyone who is broken and wanting to be whole.

Reviewer: Karen McMillan

Torn Curtain Publishing