Page 5 of 5
There are currently 32 member reviews
for All You Have to Do Is Call
-
Brenda S. (Sebring, FL)
Freedom?
This book is a welcome tool for the ongoing debate over abortions. There are many reasons a woman many want/need to end a pregnancy. The fact that so many people feel they should have a say in this very personal decision is mind boggling. This book was well written and kept a good pace. The discussion was not heavy on blame or excuses, just stating that this medical procedure should be made available with consequence. An excellent resource.
-
Jill
A Timely Read Not To Be Missed
Thank you to the publisher and BookBrowse for an advance copy of Kerri Maher’s book, All You Have To Do Is Call.
This is a timely read given the decision of the overturn of Roe v Wade. This decision overturned the longstanding Constitutional right to abortion and eliminated federal standards on abortion access. To think we have gone back 50 years and now have to start over fighting for a God-given, free-will right for women to determine what is best for them and not the government making their decision.
Kerri Maher has written a powerful and compelling novel that is loosely based on the true story of the Jane Collective, based in Chicago, in the early 1970’s. It pays tribute to these brave women who fought for a woman’s right to choose.
This is a pre-Roe v Wade read and the author brings a group of ordinary women together to fight for the right to choose. It is illegal to provide abortions and these women have trained to do a safe abortion, if a woman decides it is best for her. The group of Jane’s lead double lives because of the secrecy of the group and their personal everyday lives. It’s a story of sisterhood and the comaraderie of women helping women; knowing that they can be arrested because of the illegality of what they are doing.
This is a first read for me by this author and I enjoyed reading the advance copy of her book.
-
Deborah C. (Highland Park, NJ)
The world before Roe v. Wade
Thank you to Book Browse and Net Galley for an Advanced Reader's Copy of this book.
This absorbing novel is a reminder of what life was like for women needing abortions before Row v. Wade, and a warning about how the current anti-abortion movement will impact women today.
"Jane," the network of lay-women who provided safe abortions as well as reproductive health information, worked in Chicago in the early 1970's. This fictional account centers on five women involved, all in their late 20's and early 30's at the time.
Most of the women are white and middle class; all have choices to make in their work and relationships. There is suspense as they navigate these choices against the necessity but illegality of their efforts to help other women and grow in their own lives.
Unfortunately, the book is something of a morality play: the good women are very good; the bad men are very bad. While there is some complexity and growth, there is a fairy-tale quality to all the women finding satisfying futures that use their personal talents and further their commitment toward recognition of women's skills and rights.
However, this is an engaging and important book with its messages about limited choices for women not so long ago, and what work there still is left to do today.
-
Amy S. (Tucson, AZ)
Outlier
First, I want to state that my review does not negate the relevance and importance of a book such as All You Have To Do Is Call. I am immensely grateful that Kerri Maher told the story of the Jane Network, as I had no idea of its existence. What an inspiration these six are! My biggest complaint is that the book moved too slowly for me. I stopped. I started. I stopped. I restarted... I wanted to feel more urgency as I read, as the overturning of Roe v. Wade has reignited passionate feelings across the country. I wanted the book to land a powerful punch! And even though it didn't for me, it is important enough of an issue that I will recommend it to others.
Here is what was done very well, in my opinion. Maher presented several different female personalities-woman with varying degrees of education, from different socio-economic situations, married, single, conservative, liberal, and of all races. The issue of abortion affects all women whether we realize it or not. I liked how everyone came together despite their differences to support, strengthen, and learn from one another.
Book Reviewed by:
.png)
