When Gabriela Mendoza is abducted in the Philippines and forced to work in a brothel in Manila, she feels helpless, sobbing at the wretched fate that has befallen her and pleading with God.  Over time, she transforms from helpless to strong, and inspires the other women in the brothel to unlock their potentials and summon their courage.

Gabriela restores the confidence, dignity, and courage that the sex trade has taken from them, empowering the other women to look to the future and learn skills that will help them succeed outside of the brothel, teaching them cooking, defense, needlework, reading, and writing.  By enlisting the help of other girls to help teach their individual skills and shine, she restores confidence and pride to the women who have been systematically denied their confidence and pride by the abusive practices of human trafficking. The other women are given hope by the girls, as they prepare them for the day that they are freed, confident that that day will come, and giving them something to look forward to and prepare for in their otherwise miserable lives.

As the plot unfolds, the true power of women is revealed, and the formerly powerless women of the brothel change the course of their own lives and many others who are suffering.  More Than Rice shows the undefeatable nature of the human spirit, and how the courage, confidence, and strength of women give them the potential to overcome great tragedy and abuse.  Chestnut’s work simultaneously calls the attention of readers to a horrific practice that claims the freedom of 3 million new women each year, while instilling an uplifting underlying message, deftly interweaving compelling themes, page-turning plot, artfully rendered characters, and social issues.