Taking Children

"This is a formidable book, one that cuts against the Trump exceptionalism that suffuses much mainstream liberal discourse." * Boston Review *
"An incisive history of kidnapping as American policy. . . . Connects these into a seamless tale of torment, torture and arrogance; a description of US history if there ever was one. It is a history that demands a reckoning." * CounterPunch *
"A forceful and captivating book that readers won't be able to put down, and that listeners from all sort of backgrounds will definitely want to hear more about." * New Books Network *
Briggs . . . recounts outrages that are only a few decades old. Resurrecting this forgotten history, she demonstrates its continuity with the recent separation of migrant families."
* Reason *
"A meticulously-researched, humane, and highly readable work of scholarship. . . . Essential reading for all those with an interest in human rights, social justice issues, child welfare, immigration and American history. It should inspire a generation to challenge and resist the cruel practice of taking children for political ends." * Ethnic and Racial Studies *
"A wide- ranging and uncomfortably revealing account of what might be called the tradition of family separation." * New York Review of Books *

"Briggs' storytelling style in this incisive and well-researched text will keep readers engaged and moving quickly through its pages. . . .Taking Children is an important read for social work students considering a career in child welfare or family services and for professionals and lawmakers interested in movements to reform systems that have historically served to control and police the behavior of individuals and communities of color."

* Affilia: Feminist Inquiry in Social Work *
"Taking Children serves as a powerful manifesto. . . .to promote greater solidarity and activism among many different groups that have been so unjustly targeted for child removal." * Native American and Indigenous Studies Journal *
"Briggs' sympathy is clear. . . . A useful background resource for courses on immigration issues." * Religious Studies Review *
"Taking Children['s]... accessible and engaging language would serve undergraduate gender and women's studies classes well. Pedagogical discussions inspired by this book might explore historical memory and mythmaking, grassroots activism, and the symbolic significance of children in the American imagination." * Resources for Gender and Women's Studies *