Anna Bastian

In Our Backyard

Ethics, Culture & Social Issues

“Too often the problem of human trafficking is talked about in terms of abstract numbers or statistics. In her carefully researched book, In Our Backyard, Nita Belles seeks to change that. By telling the harrowing story of numerous trafficking victims, Belles puts a human face on human trafficking. Trafficking victims are, as Belles makes clear, everyday people. They live among us in suburban communities, rural towns, and urban areas and in both rich neighborhoods and poor ones. Victims are US born and those born outside our borders. Some are educated; others, without schooling. They’re women and girls mostly, but also boys. In short, they can be anyone. By telling the haunting stories of victims from all different walks of life, Belles shows us how traffickers recruit and dehumanize them as well as the emotional and physical toll that trafficking can take. The problem is a daunting one. But Belles’s book isn’t to be read passively. It’s a call to action. Every one of us can make a difference to end one of the greatest evils of our times, and in In Our Backyard, Nita Belles shows us how to do just that.”