Invisible Chains

Invisible Chains: Canada's Underground World of Human Trafficking is a 2010 book about human trafficking by Benjamin Perrin. Perrin wrote the book after researching human trafficking for ten years.^[1] In Invisibe Chains, Perrin recounts a variety of stories of human trafficking in Canada, including that of the prostitution of a child in Ontario whose sexual services were advertised in the adult services section of Craigslist.^[2] The book was timed to be published within three weeks of the release of Joy Smith's proposal for the National Action Plan to Combat Human Trafficking.^[3] Perrin advocated adopting Smith's proposal, saying that Invisible Chains "shows that while traffickers have a plan, Canada doesn't," and that the victims are the ones who suffer from the lack of a national action plan.^[4] Perrin promoted the book in Winnipeg, Manitoba in October 2010.^[5] Mark Milke of the Calgary Herald said that Perrin's book is "not an enjoyable read. It's depressing... but it's a necessary read," going on to say that Invisible Chains "will do much good."^[6] University of Manitoba professor Joan Durrant praised Invisible Chains, calling it a powerful book.^[7] Chester Brown condemned Invisible Chains, saying that it purports "that johns are evil monsters." In response, Brown wrote Paying for It, a graphic novel written "from the john's point of view, since of course, I don’t think of myself as an evil monster."^[8] Perrin's book was nominated for a George Ryga Award for Social Awareness in Literature,^[9] but lost to One Story, One Song, an essay collection by Richard Wagamese.^[10]

References