Tracing
the path to the landmark decision in Roe v. Wade and the continuing
battle for women's rights, Blumenthal examines, in a straightforward
tone, the root causes of the current debate around abortion and
repercussions that have affected generations of American women.
This eye-opening book is the perfect tool to facilitate difficult discussions and awareness of a topic that is rarely touched on in school but affects each and every young person. It's also perfect for fans of Steve Sheinkin and Deborah Heiligman.
This journalistic look at the history of abortion and the landmark case of Roe v. Wade is an important and necessary book.
Jane Against the World is a comprehensive review of the history of reproductive rights in the United States that led up to the landmark trial. In the early 1800s, abortion in the early stages of pregnancy was completely legal in the US. As had been the case throughout much of recorded history, a fetus wasn't considered alive or human until the woman felt it moving inside ('quickening'). Until this point, both the public and churches had little issue with abortion. The book follows the history of women's rights through the decades, through the work of Margaret Sanger and later the Clergy Consultation Service on Abortion, a group of religious leaders from various denominations who united to refer women for abortions. Jane Roe isn't even introduced until halfway through the book, underscoring the importance of laying the foundation of the legal and social framework that came before the trial. The case takes up the majority of the second half of the book with some space allotted for the impact of the decision.
I found this book to be incredibly informative. Although marketed as a YA book, I never felt like the language or subject matter was watered down, and I especially appreciated the legal aspects of the cases being explained so well. The section dealing with the court case itself is (necessarily) dry. I do wish that the section detailing the 80s through today, when abortion protests became more violent and state's laws came under attack, was able to have more pages devoted to it. All in all, I highly recommend this book.
This eye-opening book is the perfect tool to facilitate difficult discussions and awareness of a topic that is rarely touched on in school but affects each and every young person. It's also perfect for fans of Steve Sheinkin and Deborah Heiligman.
This journalistic look at the history of abortion and the landmark case of Roe v. Wade is an important and necessary book.
Jane Against the World is a comprehensive review of the history of reproductive rights in the United States that led up to the landmark trial. In the early 1800s, abortion in the early stages of pregnancy was completely legal in the US. As had been the case throughout much of recorded history, a fetus wasn't considered alive or human until the woman felt it moving inside ('quickening'). Until this point, both the public and churches had little issue with abortion. The book follows the history of women's rights through the decades, through the work of Margaret Sanger and later the Clergy Consultation Service on Abortion, a group of religious leaders from various denominations who united to refer women for abortions. Jane Roe isn't even introduced until halfway through the book, underscoring the importance of laying the foundation of the legal and social framework that came before the trial. The case takes up the majority of the second half of the book with some space allotted for the impact of the decision.
I found this book to be incredibly informative. Although marketed as a YA book, I never felt like the language or subject matter was watered down, and I especially appreciated the legal aspects of the cases being explained so well. The section dealing with the court case itself is (necessarily) dry. I do wish that the section detailing the 80s through today, when abortion protests became more violent and state's laws came under attack, was able to have more pages devoted to it. All in all, I highly recommend this book.
