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There are currently 32 member reviews
for All You Have to Do Is Call
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Judith G. (Greenbrae, CA)
All You Have to Do is Call
Kerri Maher's novel is loosely based on an actual underground feminist group called "Jane" that provided safe, inexpensive abortions when they were illegal, in the 1970s. Jane's members were always in danger of imprisonment and in fact were arrested and only escaped harsh sentences because Roe v. Wade became the law while the women were awaiting trial.
Maher's novel closely follows three women but includes a host of secondary characters as well. The reader has a clear sense of how intricate the secret network was, of the pressures on it and of the need for it. Each woman has her own reason for being dedicated to Jane, and the many stories are interesting although it is sometimes difficult to keep all the strands clear. Other than that one issue and despite the novel's serious concerns, ALL YOU HAVE TO DO IS CALL is a fast-moving, enjoyable and thought-provoking read. And despite its events taking place half a century ago, given the Dobbs decision, its concerns are definitely relevant again.
Recommended!
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Melinda J. (East Hampton, CT)
A timely subject
All You Have to Do Is Call by Kerri Maher takes place in the 1970s in an age when women are fighting for control of their own lives from personal choices to working outside the home. It is still a time when women are expected to be in the home, cooking, cleaning, and taking care of children. It is a time when Roe vs. Wade is before the Supreme Court and abortion is illegal. What a timely subject!
This work of fiction is loosely based on a real feminist group called Jane which did exist in Chicago during this time. Veronica is the founder of Jane in this book and is a housewife who is pregnant and leading a double life as someone who completes illegal abortions. Even some of her friends do not know she is a part of Jane. Other characters are Margaret, a young professor secretly volunteering; and Patty, who is against the organization until her wayward sister, Eliza, returns home after a long disappearance. All these women have difficult choices to make. The author does a very good job of developing this story. I would hate to think that we might have to go back to this period in history, but it is a distinct possibility.
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Amber H. (Asheville, NC)
Good Historical Fiction
I really enjoyed "All You Have to Do Is Call" - the book focuses on the lives of several very different women during the 1970s, particularly on their struggles on the tradition roles of women at that time, low pay, limited child care support, but mostly on abortion - women trying to obtain one, caregivers providing them and the challenges faced. Very good and interesting read on the topic - I highly recommend!
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Bb
An important issue!
Kerri Maher’s current novel covers a very timely, important and relevant topic - the right of women to control their own bodies. Although this story takes place in the 70s, this is still an issue in today’s world. This book will surely be a favorite for women’s book clubs! Recommended
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Jan
History and Today
All You Have to Do Is Call was an easy read in terms of the writing style of Kerri Maher; the plot was simple and the characters easy to get to know. All You Have to Do Is Call was, for me, a difficult read as I lived this time and had many friends who had to face the difficult decision of abortion and resulting angst and sometimes shame. This story is difficult because today the future of choice is unknown.
I do wish that in the book men had been portrayed in a more favorable light. In the 70s many men were very supportive of women and walked with them on the journey of abortion and made decisions together. This is not a male vs female issue and to portray it that way is damaging.
I would recommend this as a good book for Book Clubs. This is an issue that needs to talked about openly in a safe space.
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Jeanne W. (Colorado Springs, CO)
A Tale of Then and Now?
Kerri Maher's 'All You Have to Do is Call' is a sobering reminder of the direction our country is headed unless women are given the autonomy of their own bodies. Based on a real-life organization in Chicago, the Janes run an illegal abortion clinic and provide other reproductive care such as birth control pills to women in need of these services. They encounter a surprising number of people willing to help by providing legal services, pill prescriptions, and, surprisingly, help and clients from the police and a Catholic priest. The story is narrated by several women and this helps to make the story come alive. My only criticisms are that I kept waiting for a climax that didn't really happen. A group of mostly white women being arrested in a wealthy neighborhood didn't worry me. And I felt that the ending was a little too happy-ever-after for the times. I hope that the real-life Jane network really did end up like this. And I hope we don't have to go there again.
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Ruthie A. (Jersey City, NJ)
Super Important!
This book tells the fictionalized story of the Jane Collective, which was a real grassroots collective of women and doctors who worked to facilitate abortions for women in Chicago. They existed between 1969 and 1973. As demand skyrocketed and the doctors could not keep up, several of the lay-people were taught to carry out the procedure. Their safety rate was almost 100 percent.
The book shows how dangerous, demeaning and expensive an experience abortions were, and how these people made it a safe, supportive, informed process. They worked in secret as they were very much breaking the law. Eventually some were arrested, but Roe vs Wade was resolved before they went to trial.
Prior to the 2016 election this book would have felt like a quaint retelling of an historic moment, now it feels urgent and as if we will be seeing Jane Collectives again. That is why this book is important and relevant. Through her characters and their relationships the author explores how different women held very different views on the issue. She also shows how the women who needed this service the most were low-income women and women of color. The most harrowing part was when they talked about women seeking illegal abortions being forced to perform sex acts (as well as pay a lot of money) for their procedures. It illustrated how vulnerable and desperate these women were before Jane was formed.
This book should be read by everyone, but especially by all the male politicians making laws controlling women's health care and their bodies!
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