Saatije Baartman also known as Hottentot Venus, was an ordinary, curious, 18 year old, who travelled to a foreign country with all the excitement and expectation of any young girl, eager to see the big world, eager to earn some money.

There are many books written about Saartjie’s journey. Most of them were written by academics. This book, for the first time, speaks THROUGH SAARTJIE’S VOICE. She tells her story as she went through what she did, at the time things happened to her. 

This book is an easy read, a must-read for all teens and adolescents living in an age when sexual slavery and trafficking is on the increase. 

The reader will see that 80% of Saartjie’s Human Rights were eroded – yet she survived! It shows our ability to overcome. A lesson to all of us to tell our story. Tell it yourself, for nobody can tell what you are going through.

The book is thoroughly researched with adequate references added as endnotes and so does not interfere with the easy flow of the story.

"Hottentot Venus; the Story of Saartjie Baartman by Monica Clarke retells a heart-rending story of an African young woman from the KhoiKhoi clan. It depicts the utmost inhuman and despicable treatment imposed on the poor lady sadly not for what she did, but astonishingly for what she is." Full review: Online Book Club - Neo Mathews

"One bitter fact I want to emphasise is that I got so mad at the white man for everything they did to innocent Thandi." Full review: Online Book Club - Risper Ouma Anyango 

"Probably one of the most touching things in this book is to realize how much resilience Baartman possessed. All that horror was thrown at her, yet she still maintained dignity and spirit. In the face of such cruelty, this remains an unbroken strength—something inspiringly heartbreaking." Full review: Online Book Club - Suvankar Das