Reviews tagging 'Abortion'

The Story of Jane: The Legendary Underground Feminist Abortion Service by Laura Kaplan

21 reviews

audreylee's review against another edition

informative medium-paced

4.0

The women of Jane were very committed to providing safe abortions and reproductive education to women in Chicago who needed their services prior to Roe VS Wade. It is terrifying to consider the reversal of women's rights and what might result. This was inspiring; however, Jane wasn't quite the "people's organization" in its hierarchical makeup. Decisions were often made by the few even though the results of those decisions would have been felt by the many.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Abortion

Minor: Racism and Rape

sorry_imbooked's review

hopeful informative inspiring reflective medium-paced

3.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Abortion

ynotlime's review against another edition

informative inspiring tense medium-paced

4.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Miscarriage, Medical content, and Abortion

Minor: Sexual assault

bekkz27's review

emotional informative inspiring reflective sad slow-paced

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Abortion

lucymbriggs's review against another edition

informative inspiring slow-paced

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Abortion

danidellandrea's review

dark emotional hopeful informative inspiring reflective sad tense medium-paced

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child death, Miscarriage, Misogyny, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Medical content, Medical trauma, Abortion, Pregnancy, Abandonment, and Classism

midwesternviolet's review

challenging emotional hopeful informative inspiring medium-paced

5.0

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Abortion

corriejn's review

informative inspiring medium-paced

4.0

Written in the mid 90s about events in the late 60s/early 70s, so note that both the language and framing of the issues being addressed at the time, and some of the language of the text itself (i.e., not quotes from the time the group was active) feel outdated today. However, these were still important events worth learning about. I'll keep my rating & review focused on the book, rather than on the historical events/statements/mindsets it reports on.

That being said, some of the language is jarring and unexpected even for a text written in the 90s. For ex., use of the r-slur (not as part of a quote) in chapter 14 as part of discussion of potential cognitive disabilities of premature infants who survived induced miscarriages later in a pregnancy.

Overall, the editing could be better: quotes, phrasing, or stories will at times be repeated verbatim in separate spots, including sometimes flipping around in the timeline (and not as an intentional narrative device). There are other times where a thought seems fairly tossed in or part of a story included but not finished-- like these were thoughts that were mentioned in interviews, so the author felt they should be included, even if they didn't add to the account. There's also the author's choice to give herself a pseudonym (as well as all the others mentioned or interviewed), which is fine except that inserting herself as one of many third-person characters makes it difficult to understand what perspective and bias she may bring to the story, especially when discussing intra-group dynamics, power structures, and conflicts, for instance. The pseudonym is revealed in the epilogue, but it's not like I'm about to go back and re-read it now with that context.

Summary version: this is good history to learn about, and this is likely the most comprehensive coverage of it (as it includes inside perspective from numerous participants). However, go into it expecting to cringe at some perspectives/language and occasionally find the level of writing and editing somewhat distracting. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Gore, Miscarriage, Racism, Sexism, Blood, Medical content, Abortion, Pregnancy, and Classism

Moderate: Ableism, Death, Emotional abuse, and Medical trauma

Minor: Cancer, Child abuse, Child death, Chronic illness, Domestic abuse, Drug use, Fatphobia, Physical abuse, Rape, Self harm, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Grief, Suicide attempt, Lesbophobia, and Alcohol

sophie_cant_read's review against another edition

challenging informative inspiring medium-paced

5.0

Beautiful, gritty, and so impactful. I don’t think I’ll ever see my body and it’s relation to my liberation in the same way. A must read, especially in this political climate.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Misogyny and Abortion

rachbake's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional hopeful informative inspiring reflective tense slow-paced

4.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Medical content, Abortion, and Pregnancy

Moderate: Miscarriage

Minor: Child death, Suicidal thoughts, Blood, Police brutality, and Medical trauma