In Soldiers and Kings: Survival and Hope in the World of Human Smuggling, 2017 MacArthur fellow and anthropologist Jason de León sets out on a journey to humanize smugglers, or coyotes, as they are called by the people who hire their services to migrate from South American countries to Mexico and then, ultimately, to the U.S. For seven years, de León tracked the lives of both migrants crossing the border and the coyotes who shepherded them. He unveils a profoundly intimate account of their world—of the work, the terror, and the human connections made on their treacherous journeys. A National Book Award finalist, Soldiers and Kings seeks to buck the dangerous stereotypes that are often associated with migrants and smugglers, and instead, shows their fully nuanced stories.
Buy Now: Soldiers and Kings on Bookshop | Amazon | Barnes & Noble
More Must-Reads from TIME
- Inside Elon Musk’s War on Washington
- Meet the 2025 Women of the Year
- The Harsh Truth About Disability Inclusion
- Why Do More Young Adults Have Cancer?
- Colman Domingo Leads With Radical Love
- How to Get Better at Doing Things Alone
- Cecily Strong on Goober the Clown
- Column: The Rise of America’s Broligarchy
Contact us at letters@time.com