Duke University Press Life Interrupted: Trafficking into Forced Labor in the United States

Life Interrupted introduces us to survivors of human trafficking who are struggling to get by and make homes for themselves in the United States. Having spent nearly a decade following the lives of formerly trafficked men and women, Denise Brennan recounts in close detail their flight from their abusers and their courageous efforts to rebuild their lives. At once scholarly and accessible, her book links these firsthand accounts to global economic inequities and under-regulated and unprotected workplaces that routinely exploit migrant laborers in the United States. Brennan contends that today's punitive immigration policies undermine efforts to fight trafficking. While many believe trafficking happens only in the sex trade, Brennan shows that across low-wage labor sectors―in fields, in factories, and on construction sites―widespread exploitation can lead to and conceal forced labor. Life Interrupted is a riveting account of life in and after trafficking and a forceful call for meaningful immigration and labor reform. All royalties from this book will be donated to the nonprofit Survivor Leadership Training Fund administered through the Freedom Network. Review " Life interrupted will be of interest to anyone who wants to understand how the dark side of globalization plays out in the United States.... It is a very readable, powerful, and important book that deserves widespread attention." --Steve Striffler "Journal of the Royal Anthropological Institute" (1/1/2016 12:00:00 AM) " Life Interrupted will be of particular interest to those seeking an ethnographic perspective on the nuances and complexities of being officially classified as a victim of trafficking in the United States. ... Denise Brennan stages a powerful ethnographic critique of the idea that the anti-trafficking rubric and legal regime actually protect victims of trafficking."--Svati P. Shah "New Labor Forum" (5/1/2015 12:00:00 AM) " Life Interrupted is a highly engaging book that will be of great interest to anyone interested in forced labor and human trafficking."--Sverre Molland "International Migration Review" (1/1/2016 12:00:00 AM) " Life Interrupted is a must-read for those seeking to understand why immigration policies, US and otherwise, can prolong human misery. Bluntly confronting the risks and dangers all immigrants face when they must leave their homes in search of better lives, this admirable book is a major contribution to productive ways to rethink global immigration."--Lee Maril "Times Higher Education" " Life Interrupted is an important book. Intensely researched and accessibly written, this ethnographically rich work is recommended for anyone concerned about human trafficking. Brennan masterfully connects the plight of victims of forced labor to larger questions about U.S. labor practices and immigration policies."--Amy Farrell "American Journal of Sociology" "[A] concise yet comprehensive account of trafficking in the US. . . . Bluntly confronting the risks and dangers all immigrants face when they must leave their homes in search of better lives, this admirable book is a major contribution to productive ways to rethink global immigration. Whether it is Mexican agricultural workers risking their lives by crossing a desert to find work, or Egyptians and Pakistanis crossing the Mediterranean in fragile boats, their lives dependent on rescue at sea by the Italian navy, suffering is omnipresent. Highly recommended. Upper-division undergraduates and above."--W. T. Howard "Choice" "[B]ringing rich ethnographic detail and compelling stories from survivors of trafficking, case workers, advocates, and others. She eschews any grand theoretical gestures in favor of rigorous but readable prose and has crafted a book that is at once a major academic contribution for specialists and also a text that should be required reading for public health workers, policymakers, NGO administrators, and undergraduate or graduate students inter