A review by pkrez
The Boys in the Bunkhouse: Servitude and Salvation in the Heartland by Dan Barry
3.0
I did not come to this story cold. I remember following this story intently as it unfolded in the Des Moines Register (newspaper) in 2009. So why read the book if I already know about it?
10-second version of the story: A corporation basically enslaves and exploits mentally disabled men who cannot understand and escape from the exploitation. They work in a turkey-processing factory for years. Then finally get out after government agencies intervene.
The story is a shocking one. How could people be SOOOO taken advantage of? In this century?!?! In America?!?! In Iowa?!?! And even though I was already aware of some of the horror, I was still moved while reading this book.
Whereas the newspaper accounts give some details about what happened and the conditions, you don't get it all there. And Dan Barry's book covers it all. Much of it, new material to me. I learned a great deal about the history of how our country has dealt with mental disability. I learned much more about the company the effectively enslaved these men. And I learned so much more than I expected about the men themselves. I think one thing that the author wants to impress upon readers is that people living with intellectual disability are very much human, individuals, souls, with feelings, hopes, dreams, and a lot just like you and me. This book does an excellent job humanizing these men.
While the story is tragic, it is epic and will keep your attention. Plenty of heroes and villains. Triumphs and failures... many failures. But it does end on some positive notes and describes a much more just world in 2014 than that of the mid 1970s.
My main criticism with this book (and a big reason the star-rating is so low) is that I found the language far too flowery. I do not care too much about what color someone's car was. I don't care too much about the statue in front of some public building. I don't care too much about the sounds of the food cooking at a McDonald's restaurant. I certainly wouldn't want the book to read like a dry textbook, but I don't care too much for so many excess details that don't seem to directly relate to the issues at hand.
I can definitely understand and appreciate why this book is generally ranked so favorably on Goodreads. It's excellent in taking on a very recent, and tragic disaster story and really bringing it to life for readers.
And while the book doesn't make this point too strongly, I want to strongly say this here: What finally caused things to change in this case was the Des Moines Register newspaper saying, "and this is going to be on the front page of the paper" which could not be ignored. Investigative reporting and strong local journalism is crucial for making the world more fair and just. Sadly, the investigative journalist and editor at the Des Moines Register who were key to this story have since left the paper.
10-second version of the story: A corporation basically enslaves and exploits mentally disabled men who cannot understand and escape from the exploitation. They work in a turkey-processing factory for years. Then finally get out after government agencies intervene.
The story is a shocking one. How could people be SOOOO taken advantage of? In this century?!?! In America?!?! In Iowa?!?! And even though I was already aware of some of the horror, I was still moved while reading this book.
Whereas the newspaper accounts give some details about what happened and the conditions, you don't get it all there. And Dan Barry's book covers it all. Much of it, new material to me. I learned a great deal about the history of how our country has dealt with mental disability. I learned much more about the company the effectively enslaved these men. And I learned so much more than I expected about the men themselves. I think one thing that the author wants to impress upon readers is that people living with intellectual disability are very much human, individuals, souls, with feelings, hopes, dreams, and a lot just like you and me. This book does an excellent job humanizing these men.
While the story is tragic, it is epic and will keep your attention. Plenty of heroes and villains. Triumphs and failures... many failures. But it does end on some positive notes and describes a much more just world in 2014 than that of the mid 1970s.
My main criticism with this book (and a big reason the star-rating is so low) is that I found the language far too flowery. I do not care too much about what color someone's car was. I don't care too much about the statue in front of some public building. I don't care too much about the sounds of the food cooking at a McDonald's restaurant. I certainly wouldn't want the book to read like a dry textbook, but I don't care too much for so many excess details that don't seem to directly relate to the issues at hand.
I can definitely understand and appreciate why this book is generally ranked so favorably on Goodreads. It's excellent in taking on a very recent, and tragic disaster story and really bringing it to life for readers.
And while the book doesn't make this point too strongly, I want to strongly say this here: What finally caused things to change in this case was the Des Moines Register newspaper saying, "and this is going to be on the front page of the paper" which could not be ignored. Investigative reporting and strong local journalism is crucial for making the world more fair and just. Sadly, the investigative journalist and editor at the Des Moines Register who were key to this story have since left the paper.