Informative, eye-opening, thought-provoking- wow. I learned so much! A difficult subject but this was insightful!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to review this book.

This is an incredibly well-researched historical account of abortion’s development in America. It’s treatment was thorough with the notable exception of Margaret Sanger and the evolution of Planned Parenthood; Sanger was mentioned a couple of times in passing, but I was surprised that there was not more discussion about her, especially since other women significantly involved in abortion’s history (like Madame Restelle and Inez Brown Burns) were given quite a bit of treatment.

I learned a great deal from this book—from contraception and its relationship to abortion to religious sentiment to the effects of technology to the various things that made anti-abortion enforcement difficult. I really enjoyed the last section of the book and its description of the growth in ultrasound technology and pregnancy care centers. As I read the unfinished ARC, I unfortunately did not get to read the last chapter or the epilogue, which I’m sure addresses the overturning of Roe.

Some content is highly sensitive (a few parts describe abortion procedures in a fair amount of detail), and I would suggest caution when reading.

I’m giving it 4 stars because of the readability: it read very much like a dissertation or academic paper, and the copious amount of quotations and footnotes prevented a smooth read. However, I appreciate the level of depth in research!