It's interesting how often I find a common theme that links the recent books I have read. Sometimes this happens because I read a book and realize that I want to read a bunch more books like it (whether it be the same author, series or another similar book). Other times it seems more serendipitous as the dates and books just happen to line up. This week I was complete engrossed in three books all with one common theme: reproductive rights.
The View From The Clinic
I was feeling a little bored and tired after reading a bunch of romantic fiction books in a row and so despite the difficult topic, in many ways, The View From the Clinic by Patrice D'Amato felt like breath of fresh air. D'Amato's memoir is part non-fiction, part personal narrative, and part realistic fiction. She tells of her time working as a nurse practitioner in an abortion clinic, sharing her own perspectives, scientific and political information and data, as well as the stories of her patients which are somewhat fictionalized but based on real events. As a result, this book is unique and interesting, while also meeting the interests of a wide range of readers since it does not fit perfectly into one genre or even sub genre.
D'Amato uses her unique position and voice to dispel myths, describe barriers which cause reproductive rights to be denied to some, and share the stories and perspectives that are so rarely made public. From harrowing statistics to heart wrenching stories, this book is not an easy read, but it is definitely an important one. In a world where we see countries and governments appearing to regress socially and find that once again we are discussing white supremacy, LGBTQ+ rights and access to abortion, topics many of us felt were problems of the past, knowledge is power and understanding the many sides of a debate is essential.
The View From the Clinic is well written, including detailed information about abortions without being graphic. While D'Amato does share her own opinions and beliefs, she does so in a very neutral way. I think it is fair to say that most people who work in this highly controversial field of medicine likely have an opinion firmly rooted in one side of the debate and D'Amato is no different. That being said, this book is not written in a persuasive or belittling way. She shares the facts and her opinions are woven throughout, but this book is not meant to sell you on the positives or negatives of abortion, it is a chance to give you the opportunity to see a perspective many people would never have the opportunity to see. I would highly recommend this book to anyone interested in medical memoirs, barriers to reproductive rights, and the failing systems in place for both sexual education and access to contraception. Thanks to Booksirens and Fan Blade Publishing for giving me the opportunity to read and voluntarily review this book!
Fired Up About Reproductive Rights
While pausing half way through The View from the Clinic to catch up on another book with a more pressing deadline, I started listening to the audiobook Fired Up About Reproductive Rights by Jane Kirby. I'm not 100% sold on audiobooks and in most cases I end up preferring to read the print version anyway, but I actually really enjoyed listening to this non-fiction audiobook narrated by the author. In just 6 relatively short chapters, Kirby shares a wealth of information about the barriers to reproductive rights for women and trans men around the world. Kirby is clearly extremely knowledgeable about this topic, and her text is supported with extensive research, yet she is able to explain things in a very succinct and easy to understand way. The information she shares is both statistical and qualitative, describing experiences using background information and supporting details. For example, Kirby gives statistics about the lack of abortion clinics on Prince Edward Island, Canada, but also gives information about the political context of the province, the geography of the location of abortion clinics and the legal and financial barriers as well as the inconvenience of both time and travel imposed on Islanders looking to receive an abortion in a neighbouring province.
As a Canadian watching the chaos of the recent overturning of Roe v. Wade in the US, I have often felt proud and thankful that I live where I do. While I think I will always be glad I'm not dealing with the many issues American's face, Kirby's novel was a pretty humbling reminder that just because abortions are legal in Canada, doesn't mean we don't have our problems too. I feel like I am pretty well informed about the disparities in access to health care in Northern and remote areas of Canada, that being said, I definitely did not consider these problems in relation to a technically elective surgery that is time sensitive and potentially costly. Fortunately, I've never been in a situation where I had to consider the difficult decision to have an abortion, and as a result I have never really considered where or how I would go about accessing one. I had the privilege of not needing to worry about finances, travel or other barriers to access for a surgery I never needed. I naively assumed that since Canadians have health care coverage and abortions are legal that it was easier here than most other places, but Kirby reminded me that like all other barriers many disadvantaged populations face, accessing an abortion is not necessarily easy.
Going beyond just abortions, Kirby also discussed topics such as forced sterilization, eugenics and LGBTQ+ rights when it comes to reproductive and medical supports. She gave historical contexts, broke down common biases and provided extensive and detailed information in a way that was passionate and persuasive but also succinct and non-confrontational. I would definitely recommend this book, both in print and as an audiobook. Kirby does speak fairly quickly at times, but she is easy to understand and her articulation was really clear. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher, ECW Press (audio) for giving me the opportunity to listen to and review this fantastic audiobook!
Among Other Things
Ok so maybe this one isn't technically about reproductive rights, but the theme still exists so I decided to include it in this post. Among Other Things by Olivia Simons tells the story of Marlene, a 28-year-old woman who finds herself single, pregnant and financially unstable at the same time as she receives news that her mother has passed away from a heart attack. Marle is in an abortion clinic at an appointment booked by her married ex-boyfriend when she receives a series of phone calls from her twin sister Grace. Marle left home 10 years earlier and distanced herself, both physically and emotionally, from her twin and mother. Unsure if an abortion is really what she wants, and the sudden urge to immediately head back to her hometown, cause Marle to leave the clinic without an abortion.
Heading home to a small town which you purposely left is never easy. People talk and pass judgement quickly as soon as something exciting happens. Being thrown into those awkward sympathy conversations with people she hasn't spoken to or doesn't remember isn't exactly what Marle wants right now, but she doesn't have much choice. Grace quickly forgives Marle for abandoning her, and the twins fall back into a loving and supportive relationship after only a couple of days. Despite Grace being more stable and responsible, Marle is also able to assume a supportive role as Grace reveals marriage problems and infertility. This novel shows the special bond these twins have even after years apart, while also exploring themes like reproductive rights and challenges, grief and the importance of letting go of assumptions.
In keeping with the theme of this blog post, there were a few important parts of this story related to reproductive rights that I would like to discuss. First, I hated Marle's ex. He was a douche and no one should force someone into an abortion by booking an appointment, not offering to support her and threatening her to ensure she goes through with it. He also started to stalk her by calling her repeatedly, trying to get into her apartment and then travelling to the small town without Marle giving him permission or her address. Everything about that was gross and annoying. Second, the author does describe a miscarriage and both the physical challenges as well as the emotional challenges a woman faces when dealing with this sudden loss, especially because when miscarriages happen it is usually early in the pregnancy so few people know and are able to support the woman. Finally, there is also discussion of infertility and the feelings of inadequacy or letting a partner down by not being able to conceive. Women who experience reproductive failure can be really hard on themselves and it is important that mental health supports and awareness around all areas of reproductive challenges be less judgemental and more accessible for women in need.
For the most part this book was really well written. It is a fairly short book and I read it in less than a day. The chapters are relatively short and there is a good balance between giving enough detail and not dragging any scene or chapter on too long. That being said, I did notice a few editing mistakes (mainly misspelt words or incorrect homonyms ie. break/brake) including a couple of inconsistencies related to ages of secondary characters. The author did make some interesting choices in her writing, for one, there were no quotation marks for dialogue. I really don't understand why some authors choose to do that, but I didn't hate it. I also did feel it ended just a bit short as there were a few loose ends left hanging, but that could just be me wanting to know what happens next! In the end it was an interesting and compelling story that allowed these little things to fade into the background for me. As a result I would highly recommend this book and look forward to seeing what lays in store for this author in the future! Thanks to Booksprout and the author for giving me the opportunity to read and review this book!
So there it is. One weekend, three books, all thought provoking and perfect for discussion on the difficult and sensitive topic of reproductive rights!