Published in 1912 at the height of Jane Addams's popularity, this volume assesses the vulnerability of the rural and immigrant working-class girls who moved to Chicago and fell prey to the sexual bartering of what was known as the white slave trade. Addams offers lurid accounts--drawn from the records of Chicago's Juvenile Protection Association--of young women coerced into lives of prostitution by men who lurked outside hotels and sweatshops. Despite popular appeal, the book was criticized by the press and prominent intellectuals for being disproportionately hysterical. Joslin's introduction considers the controversial reactions to the book and the circumstances of its publication.