The book
Believe Me
The true story of how a trafficked teen and her advocate changed the justice system — and found true freedom.
by Andrea Powell · World Changers Media, 2024
About the book
When I opened the letter from Pulaski State Prison, I had no idea my life was about to change. I'd spent years founding nonprofits and advocating for victims of sexual exploitation. I thought I knew what I was walking into.
Tiffany Simpson — a teenage mother who had been pimped out by her boyfriend — had been disappeared by the system. She was serving thirty years for the crime of being trafficked. She wrote to ask me, "Am I a victim of sex trafficking, or am I a prostitute?"
As our friendship grew, it became my mission to help correct that miscarriage of justice and win Tiffany her freedom. But I learned quickly that some cases aren't simple — and far too often, the systems we count on to protect survivors of trafficking and violence silence them instead.
Believe Me is my account of what survivors actually endure, and how often the people we villainize are themselves casualties. It's a hard story. It's also, in the end, a love story — about what becomes possible when compassion and truth are allowed to lead.
As reported in The Washington Post
"Am I a victim of sex trafficking, or am I a prostitute?"
The question, written from a Georgia prison cell, that changed the course of two women's lives — and a decade of advocacy work.
Read the Washington Post feature →
The through-line
A decade of letters, court dates, and the long walk toward a justice system willing to see a trafficked child as a child.
The story behind Believe Me — as reported in The Washington Post, April 25, 2023.
Get your copy
Available everywhere books are sold.
Independent booksellers: Believe Me is distributed by Casemate Distributors and Ingram Content Group.
Praise
What readers and advocates are saying.
"Believe Me is the extraordinary story of two women… a journey of trauma and healing, courage, and ultimately, Revolutionary Love."
"An honest accounting of what trafficking looks like today — the real stories and real voices of this issue."
"Urgent and vital. A story of fierce love leading to justice for so many survivors. A call to action."
"A must-read for anyone wanting to make the justice system more just."
"Andrea Powell's book is about more than justice; it's also about infusing social change with love and a fierce commitment to compassion. A must-read."
"I have known Andrea for fifteen years, and her passion to ensure that no survivor of trafficking is left alone to suffer has always moved me. I hope everyone reads her words and feels their calling to support survivors. I truly am excited to see the impact Andrea's book will make for survivors and, honestly, anyone who has felt unheard, disbelieved, and simply discredited because of their past. This is a must-read and a true story of love overcoming fear."