audiobook Tied Up in Knots: How Getting What We Wanted Made Women Miserable by Andrea Tantaros in History

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Nominated for the 2017 Hillman Prize and the Robert F. Kennedy Human Rights AwardWith this Dickensian tale from America’s heartland; New York Times writer and columnist Dan Barry tells the harrowing yet uplifting story of the exploitation and abuse of a resilient group of men with intellectual disability; and the heroic efforts of those who helped them to find justice and reclaim their lives.In the tiny Iowa farm town of Atalissa; dozens of men; all with intellectual disability and all from Texas; lived in an old schoolhouse. Before dawn each morning; they were bussed to a nearby processing plant; where they eviscerated turkeys in return for food; lodging; and $65 a month. They lived in near servitude for more than thirty years; enduring increasing neglect; exploitation; and physical and emotional abuse—until state social workers; local journalists; and one tenacious labor lawyer helped these men achieve freedom.Drawing on exhaustive interviews; Dan Barry dives deeply into the lives of the men; recording their memories of suffering; loneliness and fleeting joy; as well as the undying hope they maintained despite their traumatic circumstances. Barry explores how a small Iowa town remained oblivious to the plight of these men; analyzes the many causes for such profound and chronic negligence; and lays out the impact of the men’s dramatic court case; which has spurred advocates—including President Obama—to push for just pay and improved working conditions for people living with disabilities.A luminous work of social justice; told with compassion and compelling detail; The Boys in the Bunkhouse is more than just inspired storytelling. It is a clarion call for a vigilance that ensures inclusion and dignity for all.