The Great Escape

“A miracle—immensely moving, powerful, beautiful, and true. It reads like a binge-worthy thriller, told with ridiculous skill and Saket Soni’s gigantic heart pounding audibly on every page.”
—Naomi Klein, New York Times bestselling author of On Fire

In early 2007, Saket Soni, a 28-year-old, Indian-born community organizer received an anonymous phone call from an Indian migrant worker inside a Mississippi labor camp. He and 500 other men were living in squalor in Gulf Coast “man camps,” surrounded by barbed wire, watched by armed guards, crammed into cold trailers with putrid portable toilets, forced to eat moldy bread and frozen rice. Worse, lured by the promise of good work and green cards, the men had desperately scraped together up to $20,000 each to apply for this “opportunity” to rebuild oil rigs after Hurricane Katrina, putting their families into impossible debt. During a series of clandestine meetings, Soni and the workers devise a bold plan. In The Great Escape, Soni traces the workers’ extraordinary escape, their march on foot to Washington DC, and their 31-day hunger strike to bring attention to their cause. Along the way, ICE agents try to deport the men, company officials work to discredit them, and politicians avert their eyes. But none of this shakes the workers’ determination to win their dignity and keep their promises to their families.
 
Weaving a deeply personal journey with a riveting tale of 21st-century forced labor, Soni takes us into the hidden lives of the foreign workers the US increasingly relies on for cheap skilled labor to rebuild after climate disasters. The Great Escape is the astonishing story of one of the largest human trafficking cases in modern American history—and the workers’ heroic journey for justice.

“"One of this country's most remarkable activists is also an extraordinary writer. From the very first moment of this world-spanning story Saket Soni has you in his grip. The Great Escape makes you feel astonishment, compassion, anger, and, at the end, something rare these days--hope." --Adam Hochschild, New York Times bestselling author of King Leopold's Ghost and Rebel Cinderella "Saket Soni's The Great Escape is a gripping, devastating, and powerfully written book, a must-read for anyone interested in the real world stakes of migration, corporate corruption, and federal law enforcement." --Ol”

“A miracle—immensely moving, powerful, beautiful, and true. It reads like a binge-worthy thriller, told with ridiculous skill and Saket Soni’s gigantic heart pounding audibly on every page.” —Naomi Klein, New York Times bestselling author of On Fire

“I've rarely read a more engrossing tale—and a more powerful reminder that in a strained and stressed world we must embrace human solidarity above all. You will not forget this book, not for a long, long time.”
—Bill McKibben, New York Times bestselling author of Falter: Has the Human Game Begun to Play Itself Out? 

“Saket Soni’s American Promise is a revelation: into the underbelly of America’s broken immigration system; into the forces of globalization that move millions of people from the poor to the rich countries without regard for their welfare; into one man's epic struggle to obtain justice for the powerless. The book has the pacing and suspense of the best fiction, but is a true story, told with empathy and humor and wisdom. American Promise promises to take its place in the annals of the finest narrative writing about migration.”
—Suketu Mehta, author of This Land Is Our Land: An Immigrant’s Manifesto
 
“An urgent book from a master storyteller. Saket hasn't just helped liberate hundreds of trafficked workers—he has also set free an equal number of magical narratives. Right till the end, this extraordinary work is as absorbing as a great novel.”
—Amitava Kumar, author of Immigrant, Montana: A Novel

“A miracle—immensely moving, powerful, beautiful, and true. It reads like a binge-worthy thriller, told with ridiculous skill and Saket Soni’s gigantic heart pounding audibly on every page.”

—Naomi Klein, New York Times bestselling author of On Fire

“I've rarely read a more engrossing tale—and a more powerful reminder that in a strained and stressed world we must embrace human solidarity above all. You will not forget this book, not for a long, long time.”
—Bill McKibben, New York Times bestselling author of Falter: Has the Human Game Begun to Play Itself Out? 

“Saket Soni’s The Great Escape is a revelation: into the underbelly of America’s broken immigration system; into the forces of globalization that move millions of people from the poor to the rich countries without regard for their welfare; into one man's epic struggle to obtain justice for the powerless. The book has the pacing and suspense of the best fiction, but is a true story, told with empathy and humor and wisdom. The Great Escape promises to take its place in the annals of the finest narrative writing about migration.”
—Suketu Mehta, author of This Land Is Our Land: An Immigrant’s Manifesto
 
“An urgent book from a master storyteller. Saket hasn't just helped liberate hundreds of trafficked workers—he has also set free an equal number of magical narratives. Right till the end, this extraordinary work is as absorbing as a great novel.”
—Amitava Kumar, author of Immigrant, Montana: A Novel

“One of this country’s most remarkable activists is also an extraordinary writer. From the very first moment of this world-spanning story Saket Soni has you in his grip. The Great Escape makes you feel astonishment, compassion, anger, and, at the end, something rare these days—hope.”
—Adam Hochschild, New York Times bestselling author of King Leopold’s Ghost and Rebel Cinderella
 
“Saket Soni’s The Great Escape is a gripping, devastating, and powerfully written book, a must-read for anyone interested in the real world stakes of migration, corporate corruption, and federal law enforcement.”
—Olúfẹ́mi O. Táíwò, author of Elite Capture: How the Powerful Took Over Identity Politics (And Everything Else) 
 
“The Great Escape is part crime caper and part epic. Soni pulls off a page-turning marvel revealing the lengths people will go for economic dignity—and the equal lengths others will go to wring profit from hope. This is a book you will never forget.”
—Lauren Markham, author of The Far Away Brothers: Two Young Migrants and the Making of an American Life

“A miracle—immensely moving, powerful, beautiful, and true. It reads like a binge-worthy thriller, told with ridiculous skill and Saket Soni’s gigantic heart pounding audibly on every page.”
—Naomi Klein, New York Times bestselling author of On Fire

“I've rarely read a more engrossing tale—and a more powerful reminder that in a strained and stressed world we must embrace human solidarity above all. You will not forget this book, not for a long, long time.”
—Bill McKibben, New York Times bestselling author of Falter: Has the Human Game Begun to Play Itself Out? 

“Saket Soni’s The Great Escape is a revelation: into the underbelly of America’s broken immigration system; into the forces of globalization that move millions of people from the poor to the rich countries without regard for their welfare; into one man's epic struggle to obtain justice for the powerless. The book has the pacing and suspense of the best fiction, but is a true story, told with empathy and humor and wisdom. The Great Escape promises to take its place in the annals of the finest narrative writing about migration.”
—Suketu Mehta, author of This Land Is Our Land: An Immigrant’s Manifesto
 
“An urgent book from a master storyteller. Saket hasn't just helped liberate hundreds of trafficked workers—he has also set free an equal number of magical narratives. Right till the end, this extraordinary work is as absorbing as a great novel.”
—Amitava Kumar, author of Immigrant, Montana: A Novel

“It’s paced like a thriller, written like a poem, and full of vivid characters who’d enliven any novel, but it’s the true story one of the largest modern-day trafficking incidents in recent history and how Saket Soni and his crew went after the powerful perpetrators. A story as important as it is riveting to read.”
—Rebecca Solnit, author of Orwell’s Roses

“One of this country’s most remarkable activists is also an extraordinary writer. From the very first moment of this world-spanning story Saket Soni has you in his grip. The Great Escape makes you feel astonishment, compassion, anger, and, at the end, something rare these days—hope.”
—Adam Hochschild, New York Times bestselling author of King Leopold’s Ghost and Rebel Cinderella
 
“Saket Soni’s The Great Escape is a gripping, devastating, and powerfully written book, a must-read for anyone interested in the real world stakes of migration, corporate corruption, and federal law enforcement.”
—Olúfẹ́mi O. Táíwò, author of Elite Capture: How the Powerful Took Over Identity Politics (And Everything Else) 
 
“The Great Escape is part crime caper and part epic. Soni pulls off a page-turning marvel revealing the lengths people will go for economic dignity—and the equal lengths others will go to wring profit from hope. This is a book you will never forget.”
—Lauren Markham, author of The Far Away Brothers: Two Young Migrants and the Making of an American Life

“A miracle—immensely moving, powerful, beautiful, and true. It reads like a binge-worthy thriller, told with ridiculous skill and Saket Soni’s gigantic heart pounding audibly on every page.”
—Naomi Klein, New York Times bestselling author of On Fire

“I've rarely read a more engrossing tale—and a more powerful reminder that in a strained and stressed world we must embrace human solidarity above all. You will not forget this book, not for a long, long time.”
—Bill McKibben, New York Times bestselling author of Falter: Has the Human Game Begun to Play Itself Out? 

“Saket Soni’s The Great Escape is a revelation: into the underbelly of America’s broken immigration system; into the forces of globalization that move millions of people from the poor to the rich countries without regard for their welfare; into one man's epic struggle to obtain justice for the powerless. The book has the pacing and suspense of the best fiction, but is a true story, told with empathy and humor and wisdom. The Great Escape promises to take its place in the annals of the finest narrative writing about migration.”
—Suketu Mehta, author of This Land Is Our Land: An Immigrant’s Manifesto
 
“An urgent book from a master storyteller. Saket hasn't just helped liberate hundreds of trafficked workers—he has also set free an equal number of magical narratives. Right till the end, this extraordinary work is as absorbing as a great novel.”
—Amitava Kumar, author of Immigrant, Montana: A Novel

“It’s paced like a thriller, written like a poem, and full of vivid characters who’d enliven any novel, but it’s the true story one of the largest modern-day trafficking incidents in recent history and how Saket Soni and his crew went after the powerful perpetrators. A story as important as it is riveting to read.”—Rebecca Solnit, author of Orwell’s Roses
“An eye-opening look at the world of global itinerant workers who spend years away from home to support their families, The Great Escape is a must-read for anyone organizing a union drive across cultural or racial lines.”
 —Farah Stockman, The New York Times Book Review
“Beyond the research, this book stands out for its startlingly complex and intimate portraits… This book will appeal to students of U.S. immigration and civil-rights history, as well as anyone who loves a beautifully told story."—Library Journal (Starred Review)
“A miracle—immensely moving, powerful, beautiful, and true. It reads like a binge-worthy thriller, told with ridiculous skill and Saket Soni’s gigantic heart pounding audibly on every page.”—Naomi Klein, New York Times bestselling author of On Fire
“I've rarely read a more engrossing tale—and a more powerful reminder that in a strained and stressed world we must embrace human solidarity above all. You will not forget this book, not for a long, long time.”—Bill McKibben, New York Times bestselling author of Falter: Has the Human Game Begun to Play Itself Out?
“Revelatory… Soni writes with empathy and conviction. This is a searing account of the harrowing road to justice.”—Publishers Weekly
“A searing exposé of corporate criminality and its governmental enablers.”—Kirkus Reviews
“One of this country’s most remarkable activists is also an extraordinary writer. From the very first moment of this world-spanning story Saket Soni has you in his grip. The Great Escape makes you feel astonishment, compassion, anger, and, at the end, something rare these days—hope.”—Adam Hochschild, New York Times bestselling author of King Leopold’s Ghost and Rebel Cinderella
“Saket Soni’s The Great Escape is a revelation: into the underbelly of America’s broken immigration system; into the forces of globalization that move millions of people from the poor to the rich countries without regard for their welfare; into one man's epic struggle to obtain justice for the powerless. The book has the pacing and suspense of the best fiction, but is a true story, told with empathy and humor and wisdom. The Great Escape promises to take its place in the annals of the finest narrative writing about migration.”—Suketu Mehta, author of This Land Is Our Land: An Immigrant’s Manifesto
“Interwoven with the author's own story of visa instability, The Great Escape illuminates the lives affected by human trafficking and the complexity of U.S. immigration bureaucracy.”—Booklist
“Saket Soni’s The Great Escape is a gripping, devastating, and powerfully written book, a must-read for anyone interested in the real world stakes of migration, corporate corruption, and federal law enforcement.”—Olúf?´mi O. Táíwò, author of Elite Capture: How the Powerful Took Over Identity Politics (And Everything Else)
“An urgent book from a master storyteller. Saket hasn't just helped liberate hundreds of trafficked workers—he has also set free an equal number of magical narratives. Right till the end, this extraordinary work is as absorbing as a great novel.”—Amitava Kumar, author of Immigrant, Montana: A Novel

“The Great Escape is part crime caper and part epic. Soni pulls off a page-turning marvel revealing the lengths people will go for economic dignity—and the equal lengths others will go to wring profit from hope. This is a book you will never forget.”

—Lauren Markham, author of The Far Away Brothers: Two Young Migrants and the Making of an American Life
“Very intense and gripping. . . Brilliant, poetic, suspenseful, and important.”—Amazon Book Review

Saket Soni is the founder and director of Resilience Force, a national nonprofit that advocates for the rising workforce that rebuilds after climate disasters. He was profiled as an “architect of the next labor movement” in USA Today, and his work was the subject of a November 2021 New Yorker feature story (in the magazine and the New Yorker Radio Hour), in which the author called him "truly one of the most interesting people I have ever met in my life." He has testified before Congress on issues of immigration and labor rights. Originally from New Delhi, Soni lives in Washington, DC.

 

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