You’re the Only One I’ve Told: The Stories Behind Abortion

In this nuanced and compassionate debut, Shah, the chief medical officer of Planned Parenthood Hudson Peconic in New York State, analyzes the social, financial, and legal barriers to abortion through the stories of people who have dealt with those hurdles. Shah highlights the experiences of women of color, and incorporates the perspectives of a trans person seeking an abortion and the male partner of a woman who chose to end her pregnancy. Each chapter documents one individual’s backstory and evolving feelings before taking up such issues as the growing prevalence of “fake health centers” that attempt to “coerce” women into continuing their pregnancy, the use of “junk science” (e.g., unproven links between abortions and breast cancer) by antiabortion policymakers and activists, and the criminalization of self-managed abortions. Shah is a fierce yet empathetic advocate for her own patients and those who have confided in her, and provides a wealth of resources for getting involved in reproductive health activism. Readers who have felt isolated or stigmatized in talking about their own abortions will find stories that resonate, while others will have their concept of who seeks an abortion broadened. This is a moving and deeply informed argument for abortion as a human right. Agent: Kristyn Keene, ICM Partners. (Sept.)