Publications

Sewing Hope: How One Factory Changes the Apparel Industry

by Sarah Adler-Milstein and John Kline

Sewing Hope, a 2017 publication, tells the story of the impact and evolution of Alta Gracia.

The authors of the book weave together engaging personal stories, key details of each stage of the factory’s development and analysis informed by John Kline’s on-the-ground research and Sarah Adler-Milstein’s direct experience as a former WRC staff person charged with verifying Alta Gracia’s compliance with the living wage and other labor standards.

This book provides a comprehensive look at the factory’s origins, initial operations, business plan adjustments and impact on workers, their families, and the community in which the workers live. In addition to the thorough case study of Alta Gracia, the book explores the context for this project, the “race to the bottom” of global supply chains, and how Alta Gracia is helping to carve a different path.

Sewing Hope is published by the University of California Press and is available directly from the UC Press or from Amazon and other booksellers.