Shuki's story starts when he is kidnapped from the slums at 10 years old to work as a 'bed-boy', then castrated to keep him 'beautiful'. This is a shocking story told extremely well. The relationship between Shuki and his master, plus the other servants in the house is examined, and a compelling picture is drawn of a young boy who has lost everything: family, puberty, the possibility of having a family, even the freedom to walk around by himself for fear of rape. He deals with his situation very matter-of-factly: at least he isn't starving. He takes revenge on the doctor who performed the 'small operation', becomes a master at manipulation, putting away plenty of money and finally escapes to find his place in the world. But this is more than a tale of abuse; the book examines an extremely religious society and the hypocrisy inherent within it. Not only does nobody help the child Shuki, his family and religious leaders turn from him as something dirty and unmentionable. The role of women is looked at as well – kept in ignorance and hidden from the world, their only roles are to obey their husband and have babies.
Shuki gets as far as Oxford, a world away from the society that recreated him as a eunuch, but even there he is too much of a temptation, showing that the baser sides of human nature are equally present no matter the society – some societies are just more honest about their depravities.

Reading this book took me through a whole range of emotions: horror, admiration, disgust, hope despair, pity, anger to name but a few. – it's safe to say I was moved! This is an original, compelling and gripping read and I have no hesitation in recommending it to anyone with a strong stomach.

KA Perkins
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