I Am Roe: My Life, Roe V. Wade, and Freedom of Choice [Paperback]

Norma McCorvey (Author), Andy Meisler (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: June 1995

The plaintiff in the landmark Roe v. Wade case shares the fascinating and highly controversial story of her struggle to obtain a legal abortion 20 years ago and what has happened to her since. "A powerful and important American document".--New York Times.

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

No job, no home, no money and pregnant. Fleeing from the horror of a back alley abortion clinic, one woman became embroiled in one of the biggest court battles in US history. The final decision came three years too late for her though it changed the lives of many other women. Nearly 20 years later, Norma McCorvey stepped from the shadows and revealed herself as Jane Roe. This is her story.

From Publishers Weekly

McCorvey, the pseudonymous plaintiff in the landmark 1973 case legalizing abortion, here candidly chronicles a rough life of struggle and survival. She was sent to a reform school in Texas, was raped by a male relative and, at 16, married an abuser. Pregnant and divorced, she found a home in Dallas's lesbian and gay subculture. She bore a daughter, whose custody was taken over by her mother, and gave up another baby for adoption. In 1970, age 21, pregnant and not wanting another child, she sought an abortion, claiming falsely that she had been raped. She met lawyer Sarah Weddington, who was looking for a pregnant woman to become plaintiff in a case challenging Texas anti-abortion laws. The suit dragged on, and McCorvey delivered a baby that she gave up for adoption. Drunk and suicidal, she was caught shoplifting by the manager of a food store who became her lover and helped her rebuild her life. McCorvey came out as a lesbian in 1989 and now has a business cleaning buildings. The Supreme Court eventually ruled for Roe in 1973. With the help of freelancer Meisler, McCorvey offers a direct, unsentimental and often harsh account of a real life at the heart of historical events. Author tour.
Copyright 1994 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 224 pages
• Publisher: Perennial (June 1995)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0060926384
• ISBN-13: 978-0060926380
• Product Dimensions: 7.8 x 5.3 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 6.4 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 2.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,729,651 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Most Helpful Customer Reviews

12 of 15 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Intriguing reading..., July 22, 2003

By 

BrownieBabe "browniebabe" (New York, New York) - See all my reviews

This review is from: I Am Roe: My Life, Roe V. Wade, and Freedom of Choice (Hardcover)

Only becoming familiar with Norma McCorvey after her conversion to Christianity, I wonder how she was so able to make a 180 degree switch regarding some of the things she said in the book. As I read more about her life after the book was written, I will probably understand.

The book was well-written. Everyone has a story, and McCorvey's story is not an uncommon one. Some parts of the book made me hurt badly for her, while others just made me angry at how she was so self-destructive and cared very little about those around her who did care (her father, for example). In light of her recent petition against the Roe decision, the conflicts between her and her well-intentioned lawyers are especially relevant. I think, to some extent, they knew that McCorvey would not have enough time to abort legally; had McCorvey had a little more anatomical and political savvy, she would have understood the same thing.

I suggest anyone who is interested in reproductive rights--regardless of their beliefs--to read this book. Check it out from the library.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars A Hard Life But A Brave Woman, March 12, 2009

By 

Ghost Reader "Interestingbkskr" (Ottowa, CA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: I Am Roe: My Life, Roe V. Wade, and Freedom of Choice (Paperback)

This book was obviously written largely by "Roe's" cowriter, given her lack of education. However, it is well-written and quite absorbing. I never knew anything about this person who brought about legal abortion-I guess I always assumed she was a well-educated and self-sufficient woman who wanted to challenge the law's stance on a woman and her body. As it turns out, that is completely the opposite life circumstances of this person. She was poor, uneducated, abused, and spent time in reform school as an adolescent. She had her first baby taken from her by her mother (an absolutely horrible idea in this case), gave up her second one, and because the wheels of the legal system take so long to move, had to complete her third pregnancy (the one in question for the court case) even though she "won" eventually. Even then, it doesn't appear she realized the impact of this case. I wish her well and hope she has found peace in her life. The book gives you a clear look at a life that was definitely not conducive to sane motherhood. It does not have any religious tentacles to reach out and try to condemn the woman, just a troubling look at a troubling life. This is a good read, but be prepared to shake your head at the obstacles this woman has faced all her life.

4 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The inside story of Roe v. Wade from Roe!, July 28, 2008

By 

Richard Shaw (La Crescenta, CA USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: I Am Roe: My Life, Roe V. Wade, and Freedom of Choice (Paperback)

Norma McCorvey's life was pathetic and she was repeatedly victimized by others including the lawyers who were looking for a way to take the issue of abortion to the U.S. Supreme Court. McCorvey became Roe and unwittingly set a landmark legal decision in motion.

Reading this book is important in understanding that there really wasn't a human side to Roe v. Wade, just feminist lawyers pushing their agenda.