I liked this book! It had a great storyline and pretty good pacing. I think the characters were interesting and I would like to read this book in a book club to see others thoughts and opinions of it. Overall I enjoyed this book!

Thank you to NetGalley, the author, and the publisher for this ARC in exchange for my honest review!!!

A haunting novel that twist and turns between 2022. and the late 1920's
Our protagonist Jessa Gidney is working non stop to become a partner in her law firm. So hard, the stress might be an obstacle to her and her husband becoming pregnant. During her hours donated by her firm she meets a young woman that may be deported. When she hears her story she dedicates her time and energy to assisting her.

In alternating chapters we learn about Carrie Buck, taken from her mother, she is raised as an orphan. When she becomes pregnant, her story creates ripples that reach all the way forward to 2022.

Friedland weaves the two together seamlessly and tells a tale that you will never forget. This is an important story for right now!
#harpermuse #countingbackwards #jacquelinefriedland

1927 Virginia - Carrie Buck has lead a life of hardship. Taken from her mother and fostered by a family who use her as an unpaid servant and farm hand she has not had it easy. But Virginia has some new laws and they will take more from Carrie then she ever thought possible.
2022 New York - Corporate lawyer Jess’s has taken on some pro bono work to help get her mind off her other problems. Appointed to help a young woman in an ICE facility she soon learns that this facility is taking a lot more then the inmate’s freedoms. Determined to make everyone responsible pay for the atrocities committed Jessa starts work on a class action suit. But the case will bring some skeletons out of her own closet and put a strain on her marriage and reputation.
This is not the first time I’ve read about the eugenics programs in the US but every time I am blown away at how widespread and long lived it was. And how well it was covered up.
Carrie’s story is based on a real case by a woman of the same name.
For the most part I enjoyed this book but I did think Jessa’s story was a bit more focused on her and her own problems. I would have maybe enjoyed having one of the inmates perspectives or more of Carrie’s story and a little less of Jessa. It was an interesting read though.
Thank you to @harpermusebooks and @netgalley for letting me have an advanced copy for review. Look for #countingbackwards March 11 2024.
#bookstagram #bookstagrammer #bookworm #bookreview #booklover #readmorebooks #readersofinstagram

I received this book for free and I write this comment voluntarily. Let me brag about myself a little. I do choose the best ARCs. I am generally reluctant to give five stars to contemporary novels (because if Dostoyevsky is your five star how could give you five stars to anything) but this time I am giving out a full five stars. This novel is very timely, I wish it is published right now, given that it explores areas of woman rights, immigration laws and family relationships. We have two stories in the novel, one is Jesse's and the other is Carrie Buck's. Taking the real life story Carrie Buck and integrating it into a novel with a legal and fictional perspective is just great. The author is a law graduate which makes novel even more interesting. If you have never heard of Carrie Buck, do not research until you finish the novel so that you would be more surprised. I thank the author, NetGalley and the publisher for this free novel.

I was given an ARC by the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. Jessa, a lawyer and orphan has built herself the perfect life, so she thinks. After losing her parents, she is determined to have a cozy world and a family, the perfect investor husband, nice apartment, working her way up to partner at her law firm...until one day she takes a simple pro bono case that turns her world upside down. Jessa meets with Isobel over a deportation case but quickly discovers multiple women have been forcibly sterilized in ICE detention centers. Through another person's struggles Jessa quickly learns to stand on her own feet to advocate for an underserved population. Jessa is determined to fight this fight and do what no one will to protect the Jane Does who were affected, being forced to reassess everything around her as she does. Devastating, informative, alarming, inspiring, infuriating. Friedland, inspired by the Carrie Buck case of 1927 has delivered a book that will live in your mind for years to come, that reminds us that women's bodies have been controlled by others for many many years, and it is still happening today.

Jacqueline Friedland’s Counting Backwards is a gripping, emotionally charged novel that weaves together the stories of two women—Jessa Gidney, a lawyer uncovering a shocking medical malpractice conspiracy within an ICE detention center, and Carrie Buck, a young woman caught in the legal battles of the American eugenics movement. Alternating between the past and present, Friedland crafts a powerful narrative that dives deep into issues like reproductive rights, incarceration, and society’s expectations of women. Jessa’s discovery of her personal ties to Carrie’s case adds a haunting layer to an already compelling story, reminding us that progress is rarely a straight line and often comes at great cost. With its timely themes and unforgettable characters, Counting Backwards is an important, thought-provoking read that will stay with you long after the final page.

Counting Backwards focuses on past and current justices against women with a cast of characters who are motivated to expose the truth. This is a story filled with riveting conspiracy that is engaging to follow.

i gravitated toward this one because of the cover, it's reminiscent of "ripe" by sarah rose etter, so it was an immediate tell that this book would have layers. from feeling heartbreak and sympathy to anger, it's just an unreal storytelling adventure that everyone should experience.

This is my second novel by this author and her novels are one to read. I always learn something new. The cover of a pomegranate and the title grabbed by attention and after reading the story I knew what exactly the over conveyed. The publisher nailed the cover.

This novel takes us on a journey in 1927 was we follow Carrie Buck who is denied medical rights and the injustices that are done to her and countless women.

The other timeline is in 2022, as Jessa is a lawyer taking on a medical malpractice case while struggling with her own fertility issues.

See how these timelines connect. These two women and their resilience, and their tenacity as they struggle to find out their strength was remarkable.

A heart-wrenching novel on a tough subject.

This novel and their stories will stay with me a long time.

I love the author’s writing style which makes her books hard to put down! This book explores timely themes and is set in present day and in the past- a must read for those who also love historical fiction. Releases in March- A pre-order!

This book is so timely. Inspired by a 2020 story of women in ICE detention who had medical procedures without their consent and Carrie Buck's story in the 1920s, this book focuses on bodily autonomy, women's rights, immigration rights and grief. I loved the present day story with Jessa and her journey with understanding herself and her own personal grief. While I've read books that have had eugenics as a topic, this was the first I have heard of Carrie Buck's case. This book is moving and should be required reading. Thank you to NetGalley and Harper Muse for a chance to read this one early in exchange for an honest review.

This is historical fiction that is absolutely applicable today and the perfect story to get more Americans to open their eyes. As a lover of the law, I really enjoyed following Jessa's legal career and looking back at the Supreme Court case, as well as seeing how she moved forward with this case. Jacqueline gives us a great inside look at what being an attorney is like while also bringing to the forefront the issue of eugenics, the American prison system, reproductive rights and so much more. Many in America have forgotten or closed their eyes to what has happened in the past, what is currently happening and what needs to be done in our country. This book is perfection in bringing it all to light and in a captivating way.

“She could rarely be found without her e-reader, and its extra large font, somewhere close by.”

Jessa wants nothing more than to be a mother. When she gets passed over for partner at her law firm, she decides to take on a pro bono case and ends up working to help someone that is detained for deportation by ICE. Their first meeting however, lets her know more than she ever expected. Her client had a life changing surgery, without her knowledge, ending her ability to have children, and it seems to be a common trend for others as well. Her husband Vance just wants her to take a break and relax, not get so wrapped up in this case. However, around 100 years ago, Carrie was removed from her mother’s care and put into foster care. All she wants is to leave and make a life with a family of her own. When she gets pregnant in the worst way, they declare her feeble minded and decide to make her their test case. Carrie’s case opened up a new plan for those deemed “unfit” and left the door open for horrifying situations for women for over 100 years.

ALL FIVE BEAUTIFUL BRIGHT STARS! Ok so first of all….I started this book and was enjoying, and then I hit the quote above and lost it. All the tears. I was laying in bed just sobbing. As many of you know I lost my Grandfather earlier this year and this was him. He always had this kindle on him, and the font was massive. Reading this line I immediately saw him in his reading spot and just had all the feels. So that was a great start for this one, but damn if it didn’t only go up from there. If there is ever a time where you have to read the authors note, this book is it. The fact that this was happening so recently is horrifying and honestly I am worried for what the current administration will do. This book was heartbreaking, and horrifying. I loved that Jessa was so determined to fight this case, and Carrie’s story will seriously rip your heart out. I dm’d Jackie while reading and let her know I couldn’t tell if I really disliked Vance, or if it was just the name Vance, but I kind of feel like it was a bit of both! I seriously don’t even know what to say other than you need to read this book! It was absolutely phenomenal and my first full 5 star read of 2025.

Thank you to @harpermusebooks for my gifted copy of this book!

I’m not even sure where to begin with this review…this book is absolutely one of the best I’ve read in a long time. The subject matter is so important- women’s reproductive rights, the idea that eugenics is still being carried out over a century later, and how immigrants in America are treated as 2nd class humans. Based on a real-life case from the 1920’s and bounces back and forth between then and 2022, the author does an incredible job combining facts with a fictional style to make the book flow smoothly. This is a MUST READ!!

Jessa spent the last several years trying to prove why she deserved partner at her Manhattan law firm but after continuing to be passed over she’s ready to live life on her own terms.

Her and her husband are trying for a baby and after being told she needs less stress in her life she’s ready to step back at work. This leads her to a pro bono case fighting against the deportation of Isobel Perez.

When Jessa goes to the detention facility to meet Isobel, she learns of gross medical malpractice against the women who are held there.

Then we meet Carrie Buck. Carrie grew up poor in the 1920s and wrongly ended up in a home for the “feeble minded.”

Jessa and Carrie’s stories end up connecting and the parallels between what Carrie went through in the 1920s and what women at detention centers in 2022 are disgustingly similar.

The author did a phenomenal job with research and making her facts feel attainable to the reader.

The way men continue to think they know what’s best for women’s bodies is enraging. The way that the poor are treated, taken advantage of and then threatened against taking retaliation is sick. The fact that this is still present day… sick.

Read this book!

But take mind for trigger warnings.

Thanks to @netgalley for this e-arc! Out 3/11!✨✨✨

I binge-read this in 24 hours and it was such a compelling read. Based on actual events, it is chilling reminder that exploitation of women can take many forms.

I've read powerful stories about motherhood and loss, but none like this. The grief that the characters suffered from forced sterilization just made me feel sad and distressed. While I don't have or intend to have children, at least I know that I made that choice myself. And it was only made worse with the dual timeline, knowing that it didn't happen just in the past but continued even less than a decade ago.

No less interesting was Jessa's personal situation, her trauma and insecurities about getting pregnant and needing that last link to biological family to feel complete.

Highly recommend this one!

This novel was so gut-wrenching but also a super necessary read that left me both heartbroken and enraged.

The dual timeline connected Jessa's modern-day legal battle with Isobel's harrowing fight against medical injustice to the true story of Carrie Buck, a young woman caught in America's dark history of eugenics. The way the author ties these stories together - unearthing the horrors of forced sterilization, reproductive control, and the dehumanization of vulnerable women - makes this such an emotional and thought-provoking read.

Jessa's character is especially powerful as she transitions from a corporate lawyer to a woman willing to risk everything to stand up for those who have been silenced. Meanwhile, Carrie's storyline is devastating, as her real-life Supreme Court case (Buck vs. Bell) cemented a horrifying legal precedent that still echoes today.

What makes this book so hard to read - and so necessary - is how relevant it still feels. The discussion around reproductive autonomy, the treatment of immigrants, and the systemic control of women's bodies are terrifying in the context of current events. It's infuriating to realize that the same systems of power and oppression that shaped Carrie's fate continue to dictate the lives of marginalized women today.

This book is not just a novel - it's a call to awareness and action! I've been processing this book for weeks and it's still unsettling to me. While it was an emotional and exhausting read, it's one I would recommend to anyone that's willing to confront the uncomfortable truths of our past and present.

An absolutely unforgettable read! Please check it out!

Told in two timelines, this story explores a range of powerful themes:

• Eugenics and Bodily Autonomy

• Immigrant Detention and Legal Representation

• Inherited Secrets and Family Legacy

• Fertility Challenges and Marriage Dynamics

"I knew it was hard to believe. Here we were in 2022, and women were being sterilized against their will. I still couldn’t parse out what would be motivating the doctor, the guards, the government, to let this happen. Was it because the women were foreigners? People of color? Less educated? Or was it a scam involving money from insurance payments? Maybe all of the above."

2022: Jessa, a lawyer working on a pro bono immigration case at a local detention center, discovers that her client underwent an invasive medical procedure without consent. As she digs deeper into her client’s case, Jessa uncovers a disturbing pattern of abuse and retaliation within the facility.

1924: Carrie, sent to the Virginia State Colony for Epileptics and Feebleminded after enduring a grim childhood, sexual assault, and resulting pregnancy, learns she has been wrongly labeled an 'imbecile'. The facility brings a case to court under a new law that would permit her forced sterilization.

I couldn't put this book down! The Author's Note was fascinating and made me want to learn more. I've already downloaded two books from her Additional Reading recommendations:

📖 No Justice in the Shadows: How America Criminalizes Immigrants by Alina Das

📖 Imbeciles: The Supreme Court, American Eugenics , and the Sterilization of Carrie Buck by Adam Cohen

Fantastic read about a very important topic that was handled beautifully. I liked the movement between the two timelines and how the stories were inter-related. I definitely needed to read something lighter afterward but this was so so good!