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.