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theladyjess's review against another edition
4.0
Graphic: Infertility, Misogyny, Racism, Sexism, Medical content, Medical trauma, and Classism
Moderate: Abortion
Minor: Cancer
bookishmillennial's review against another edition
This is based on a real lawsuit & on the true story of Mary Alice and Minnie Lee Relf who, in 1973 at ages 12 and 14, were surgically sterilized without their consent in Montgomery, Alabama. 💔
Dolen Perkins-Valdez painted such a rich story with important historical context! I had no idea about the lawsuit that inspired this book & while I was horrified & devastated for the women, I was not surprised that the horrific racism that seeped into our health care system. I really don’t understand how the federal government felt these were ever rooted in “good intentions”🤮
I related to Civil a lot because you already know I can be sanctimonious and self-righteous😅 However, she had damn good reason to be! She spoke up about the unethical, immoral shit that happened because she deeply cared not only for her patients but for Black women everywhere. She knew how important having a choice was & she never wanted that taken away from anyone.
If you’re a historical fiction girly, please give this one a go! The audiobook was FANTASTIC btw👏🏽
Graphic: Ableism, Mental illness, Racism, Sexism, Grief, Medical trauma, Abortion, and Classism
kelly_e's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
Author: Dolen Perkins-Valdez
Genre: Historical Fiction
Rating: 5.00
Pub Date: April 12, 2022
T H R E E • W O R D S
Delicate • Devastating • Illuminating
📖 S Y N O P S I S
Montgomery, Alabama, 1973. Fresh out of nursing school, Civil Townsend intends to make a difference, especially in her African American community. At the Montgomery Family Planning Clinic, she hopes to help women shape their destinies, to make their own choices for their lives and bodies.
But when her first week on the job takes her along a dusty country road to a worn-down one-room cabin, Civil is shocked to learn that her new patients, Erica and India, are children—just eleven and thirteen years old. Neither of the Williams sisters has even kissed a boy, but they are poor and Black, and for those handling the family’s welfare benefits, that’s reason enough to have the girls on birth control. As Civil grapples with her role, she takes India, Erica, and their family into her heart. Until one day she arrives at their door to learn the unthinkable has happened, and nothing will ever be the same for any of them.
Decades later, with her daughter grown and a long career in her wake, Dr. Civil Townsend is ready to retire, to find her peace, and to leave the past behind. But there are people and stories that refuse to be forgotten. That must not be forgotten.
💭 T H O U G H T S
Take My Hand was one of my 12 recommendations from 12 friends for 2023, and one I was most looking forward to after so many glowing reviews from trusted historical fiction readers. Honestly, I am not sure 5-stars is nearly enough for this powerful and emotional book.
One of the things I appreciate most about historical fiction is how it allows the reader a glimpse into history through so many different lenses. Although Take My Hand is a fictionalized account (based on true events), the writing and characterization brought everything to life. Told in dual timelines and exploring the haunting history of eugenics, this novel is incredibly well-written and eye-opening. The characters were three dimensional and I was sucked into their lives from the very start. There were moments of pause, there were tears, there was anger - it was just an incredible reading experience. Yet knowing this happened, and continues to happen, is so unsettling.
Take My Hand will be easily be finding its way onto my forever shelf, as well as my year-end 2023 favourites list! It's a novel offering another much needed layer to the discussion of reproductive rights and justice. It is sure to spark discussion, raising moral and ethical questions. I will be thinking of this one for a long time to come. So far my friends have been hitting it out of the park with their recommendations.
📚 R E C O M M E N D • T O
• historical fiction lovers
• fans of Necessary Lies
• bookclubs
🔖 F A V O U R I T E • Q U O T E S
"Our bodies belong to us. Poor, disabled, it didn't matter. These were our bodies and we have the right to decide what to do with them."
"There is no greater right for a woman than having a choice."
"I had never known that good intentions could be just as destructive as bad ones."
Graphic: Ableism, Death, Infertility, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Sexism, Suicide, Medical content, Grief, Medical trauma, Abortion, Pregnancy, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism
Moderate: Child abuse, Child death, Genocide, Mental illness, Sexual assault, Violence, Blood, Car accident, and Death of parent
Minor: Cancer, Sexual content, and Terminal illness
adoptionruffian23's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
Moderate: Child abuse, Genocide, Infertility, Mental illness, Racism, Sexism, Grief, Medical trauma, and Abortion
Minor: Cancer, Terminal illness, and Pregnancy
alexisgarcia's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Graphic: Body horror, Cancer, Child abuse, Cursing, Death, Hate crime, Infertility, Miscarriage, Racism, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Terminal illness, Violence, Blood, Vomit, Medical content, Grief, Medical trauma, Car accident, Abortion, Pregnancy, Abandonment, Alcohol, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism
katietotallybooked's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
Perkins-Valdez really pulled me in with her captivating characters. I felt so much empathy for India & Erica and their traumatic childhood. I was rooting for Civil on her own personal journey of growth and search for belonging. In my eyes, it was a bonus to the novel to learn about this horrible event in our world's past, because the story about chosen family, love, and identity was enough to capture my attention.
This is the quote that really brought the book to a five star read for me: "Didn’t she understand that family was so much more than blood? It was shared experience and history and pain. Those girls were as much my family now as they were hers. "
Graphic: Racism, Sexism, and Medical trauma
Moderate: Abortion and Pregnancy
Minor: Mental illness and Terminal illness
sophisticotton's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
Graphic: Racism, Sexism, Medical trauma, and Abortion
katierobertsonshaddix's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Graphic: Body horror, Child abuse, Death, Infertility, Racism, Sexism, Sexual violence, Medical content, Grief, Medical trauma, Pregnancy, Gaslighting, and Injury/Injury detail
morethanmylupus's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
This is such an important and sadly still relevant topic. We’re still hearing about forced sterilization of women in prisons and ICE detention centers. We’re now facing the end of Roe and the impact it will have - particularly devastating to read the parts of the book that talked about how much it would help. We still have so much work to do.
Graphic: Racism, Sexism, and Medical trauma
liamliayaum's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Civil Townsend is a freshly graduated nurse back in her home town of Montgomery, Alabama in 1973 working in a federally funded women's health clinic. One of her tasks is to administer birth control, namely in the form of the Depo-Provera shot to young women. The first family she visits are the Williams, who are living out in the country in what amounts to barely a shack. Civil meets Erica and India, who are thirteen and eleven, respectively, and gives them the shot then learns neither of them have gotten their period yet or sexually active. As she learns about some questionable actions concerning the Depo-Provera, Civil fakes give the girls the shots. Civil soon finds herself in a roller coaster ride to try and make wrongs into rights.
The story takes place in parallel timelines, one in 1973 and one in 2016. Civil reflects on her painful past and comes to terms with everything that happened. In the present, Civil is a mixture of ashamed, inwardly reflective, and resolute. In the past, Civil is guilt ridden, full of fight and love, and seeking out ways to make things right. Her voice is raw, emotional, and gut-wrenching.
Ultimately, this novel delves into the outright horror of the forced sterilization of poor Black people (with mentions of other populations across the United States also being affected) without the proper explanations or ability to make their own decisions without feeling coerced. The betrayal of the government and the not so blatant racism and sexism, barely a year after Tuskegee Syphilis experiments.
An undercurrent to that is the guilt of those involved, both who knew and didn't know fully what was happening. The character of Civil shows us that humanity is innately flawed and mistakes happen. Civil tries to move forward and seems to keep making missteps. Civil's own torment adds to the gut wrenching and emotional pulls on heartstrings that is not only our history, but also a potential future. In the end, it's also a reminder that even those with the best intentions can make a mess of everything.
Graphic: Racism and Sexism
Moderate: Ableism
Minor: Abortion