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sambolin's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
informative
inspiring
reflective
fast-paced
5.0
Despite being nonfiction, this book was an extremely easy listen. Just as Jane had hoped to do, this book represents and focuses on the people- the human element. You understand motivations, fears, and trials. It doesn’t shy away from issues the group faced. It also reminds us how far we still need to go for equality. In the reversing of Roe, this book informed that we truly weren’t given autonomy with that decision, and have so much more to fight for in this new landscape.
keimre734's review against another edition
5.0
This book is the story of an underground abortion group in Chicago during the 1960’s and 70’s. The story is told by one of the women who was a part of the group.
I felt like I was peering into the future and the past as I read this book. It was absolutely heart breaking.
I felt like I was peering into the future and the past as I read this book. It was absolutely heart breaking.
ammarahw's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
informative
reflective
medium-paced
5.0
I thought this was a really great book about the Jane Collective. The book describes the logistics of what the group was doing, their motivations, challenges, how they interacted with the climate at the time and other organizations including other women’s rights groups, the police and religious leaders. I felt like it was highly informative and honest. I liked that the author was honest about the challenges within the group dynamic.
Despite the author’s insistence that these women were not heroes, I think they were. When I live my life, I’m always a woman first so these women working together to save other women and restore their agency and power over themselves was an act of heroism to me. I read this and was incredibly moved and feel like in the future I will think of them when I’m trying to do what’s right and take actions that the person I want to be would take.
Despite the author’s insistence that these women were not heroes, I think they were. When I live my life, I’m always a woman first so these women working together to save other women and restore their agency and power over themselves was an act of heroism to me. I read this and was incredibly moved and feel like in the future I will think of them when I’m trying to do what’s right and take actions that the person I want to be would take.
megan_fink's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
informative
inspiring
reflective
5.0
leasummer's review against another edition
5.0
This is a well-told story, using collective memory as the means of storytelling made this feel even more real than a more traditional way of telling history. I learned a lot about the years before Roe V Wade, as well as the details of how Jane functioned that I couldn't have imagined. I really enjoyed this telling, and you could feel the power and the passion throughout the story.
erine's review against another edition
4.0
A story that unfolded largely like I expected. I listened to this, and was caught up in the litany of so many women who came together to provide, not just abortions, but compassionate medical care and knowledge to women in the Chicago area. They even learned how to perform Pap smears and basic gynecological exams, and provided sex education to area schools. These generally ordinary people came together, organized processes, learned procedures, shared their knowledge, and risked their freedoms.
The group was not perfect, there were personality clashes, egos, and mistakes. They were mostly middle class white women in a place where they were helping poor or Black women (a circumstance they tried and failed to remedy). But in the main, their goal was to build a community of care, and they seemed to succeed.
What surprised me in the end was the Jane group’s reaction to Roe v Wade. Some wanted to disband entirely, others wanted to continue their educational programs. Ultimately the group scattered to varying purposes. There was relief that abortion was no longer illegal, but deep disappointment that the verdict did not protect women’s health and privacy, but rather the privacy of the practicing physicians. The Jane group wanted patients to have far more control over their own bodies and lives than what Roe provided. They were hoping there would be no laws at all restricting women’s health decisions, but had to deal with the world as it was.
One other jarring moment: after Jane disbanded at least one former member had the opportunity to witness a hospital D&C and was horrified by the woman being under general anesthetic. She felt the patient was being “done to” instead of included in her own care. It made me wonder if my own D&C would have been a better experience if I had felt more aware during the process. I had not really thought it was an option.
Notes:
51%. In the late 19th century, as male medical doctors were trying to gain control over the medical profession as a whole, and over pregnancy care in particular, they did everything they could to discredit the midwives working with women, who were also providing abortion. Effort by these doctors combined with anti-immigrant sentiments, and declining birth rates among the “right kinds“ of people, to create an environment ripe for limiting freedom of women to choose their own medical destiny‘s. So really, not very much different from today.
The group was not perfect, there were personality clashes, egos, and mistakes. They were mostly middle class white women in a place where they were helping poor or Black women (a circumstance they tried and failed to remedy). But in the main, their goal was to build a community of care, and they seemed to succeed.
What surprised me in the end was the Jane group’s reaction to Roe v Wade. Some wanted to disband entirely, others wanted to continue their educational programs. Ultimately the group scattered to varying purposes. There was relief that abortion was no longer illegal, but deep disappointment that the verdict did not protect women’s health and privacy, but rather the privacy of the practicing physicians. The Jane group wanted patients to have far more control over their own bodies and lives than what Roe provided. They were hoping there would be no laws at all restricting women’s health decisions, but had to deal with the world as it was.
One other jarring moment: after Jane disbanded at least one former member had the opportunity to witness a hospital D&C and was horrified by the woman being under general anesthetic. She felt the patient was being “done to” instead of included in her own care. It made me wonder if my own D&C would have been a better experience if I had felt more aware during the process. I had not really thought it was an option.
Notes:
51%. In the late 19th century, as male medical doctors were trying to gain control over the medical profession as a whole, and over pregnancy care in particular, they did everything they could to discredit the midwives working with women, who were also providing abortion. Effort by these doctors combined with anti-immigrant sentiments, and declining birth rates among the “right kinds“ of people, to create an environment ripe for limiting freedom of women to choose their own medical destiny‘s. So really, not very much different from today.
marcymurli's review against another edition
4.0
This is an enlightening read, especially in light of the recent Supreme Court ruling. It gives such a vivid picture of how things were before Roe v. Wade. I loved learning about the intricacies of organizing and training women to become abortionists. I love how they evolved their services and the questions they raise about the limits of Roe. It's a fantastic book for anyone interested in reproductive healthcare - indeed healthcare more generally! - but also for people who want to understand underground organizing, which may, unfortunately become necessary now in the US.
midwest_transplant's review against another edition
emotional
informative
reflective
tense
medium-paced
4.5
capecod11's review against another edition
emotional
informative
inspiring
reflective
fast-paced
5.0