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The Story of Jane: The Legendary Underground Feminist Abortion Service [Paperback]

Laura Kaplan (Author)
3.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)

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Book Description

June 9, 1997 0226424219 978-0226424217
"In the four years before the Supreme Court's 1973 Roe vs. Wade decision, most women determined to get abortions had to subject themselves to the power of illegal, unregulated abortionists...But a Chicago woman who happened to stumble across a secret organization code-named 'Jane' had an alternative. Laura Kaplan, who joined Jane in 1971, has pieced together the histories of the anonymous (here identified only by pseudonyms), average-sounding women who transformed themselves into outlaws."—Cleveland Plain Dealer

"The Story of Jane is a piece of women's history in step with feminist theory demanding that women tell their own stories. It serves to remind people of an important and often overlooked moment in the women's rights movement."—Seattle Weekly

"Laura Kaplan's The Story of Jane is the first book to chronicle this controversial sliver of history, and it is a fascinating, if partisan, close-up of the group."—Newsday

"[Kaplan] draws on her personal recollections and interviews with Jane members and clients and the doctors who performed the abortions to provide a well-written, detailed history of this radical group."—Publisher's Weekly

"Weaving together the voices and memories of her former co-workers, Kaplan recounts how the group initially focused on counseling women and helping them find reliable, reasonably priced doctors....Kaplan's account of this remarkable story recaptures the political idealism of the early '70s...23 years after Roe vs. Wade, the issues and memories raised by the books are close and all too relevant."—K Kaufmann, San Francisco Chronicle

"Laura Kaplan's The Story of Jane is the first book to chronicle this controversial sliver of history, and it is a fascinating, if partisan, close-up of the group....The Story of Jane succeeds on the steam of Kaplan's gripping subject and her moving belief in the power of small-scale change."—Cynthia Leive, New York Newsday

"During the four years before the Supreme Court's Roe v. Wade decision legalized abortion in 1973, the 100 members of Jane helped some 11,000 women end their pregnancies....There is more in this remarkable book that will further raise eyebrows....Kaplan's engrossing tales of the quiet courage of the women who risked their reputations and freedom to help others may remind many readers of other kinds of outlaws who have resisted tyranny throughout history."—Chicago Sun-Times


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Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

From 1969 until January 1973, when the U.S. Supreme Court handed down its Roe v. Wade decision legalizing abortion, a pioneering group of Chicago feminists who called themselves "Jane" provided illegal access to abortions for thousands of women. Kaplan, who is now a lay midwife, joined Jane in 1971 as a counselor. Here she draws on her personal recollections and interviews with Jane members and clients and the doctors who performed the abortions to provide a well-written, detailed history of this radical group. Initially Jane was a referral agency only, but as demand grew, members became involved in counseling and attended clients' abortions, and some eventually trained to perform the abortions. Jane volunteers were convinced that women were entitled to control over their bodies, and they acted on their principles, despite the consequences. Several members were arrested in 1972, but the suit was dropped. Jane disbanded after abortion clinics became legal. A dramatic and important piece of women's history.
Copyright 1995 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

From Library Journal

From 1969 until the Roe v. Wade Supreme Court ruling in 1973, a group of Chicago women formed a loose underground organization whose sole purpose was to aid women who needed abortions (then illegal, of course) in getting them as safely and inexpensively as possible. They called their referral service "Jane" and worked out a set of complicated procedures to keep both themselves and their clients out of jail. At first they handled referrals to willing doctors on a very limited basis-only three or four a week-but as word about Jane got around their business increased. Eventually the women were taught by an expert to do the abortions themselves, which enabled them to charge next to nothing to those in financial need. But the operations were not all they did; every one of the 11,000 women who came to Jane also received health education and counseling. As a study of this remarkable but little known phenomenon, this book will be of value to anyone interested in women's health, the women's movement, and women's reproductive health and rights, particularly now that those rights are coming under increasing attack.
Audrey Eaglen, Cuyahoga Cty. P.L., Parma, Ohio
Copyright 1995 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

Product Details

  • Paperback: 334 pages
  • Publisher: University Of Chicago Press (June 9, 1997)
  • Language: English
  • ISBN-10: 0226424219
  • ISBN-13: 978-0226424217
  • Product Dimensions: 8.3 x 5.5 x 0.8 inches
  • Shipping Weight: 12.8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
  • Average Customer Review: 3.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
  • Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #277,402 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Average Customer Review
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12 of 14 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars Wonderful reading, July 16, 2000
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This review is from: The Story of Jane: The Legendary Underground Feminist Abortion Service (Paperback)
This book takes a historical (even if partly rose colored) look back at the days before Roe vs Wade, and a group of women with a commitment to women's self determination

Although it is still a radical idea in our day (which accounts for the stalking of patients, bombing of Clinics and the killing of medical personel)these women realized that control over one's reproductive system was essential for survival. Women who found themselves pregnant had very limited options (there were no laws against firing pregnant workers or dismissing students and child support payments were very lax in enforcement by modern standards)and Jane sought to change that system. The change is even more remarkable in light of the fact that many of these women were college students like myself.

Because this book is so well written, you can almost feel the excitement and terror as many collective members were changing the system. Understandably, the use of pseudonyms was a necesitity both then and now.

Even though we know that abortion was legalized in Roe the mood is so well set in the book, "Never Again" rings throughout the pages. Although Jane members do not regret what they did, it is obvious that they do not want another generation to resort to such extra-legal methods. One generation was once too many.

In addition to individual reading and research, this book might be useful for a course on American women's history and/or a general course in the 1960's-1970s.

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5 of 6 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars A Vital Resource, November 2, 2005
The story of Jane-and *this* story of Jane-is unfortunately, a vital one in this contemporary age. It is recommended reading for medical health enthusiasts, women's rights advocates, political activists of all kinds, and people who just plain old like a tale about people getting together and making sure their own needs are met.
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6 of 10 people found the following review helpful:
3.0 out of 5 stars An interesting look at pre-legalization abortion, May 22, 2000
This is a must-read for feminists, pro-choicers, pro-lifers, and activists involved in the area of women's health. Information on this book's subject matter is frequently hard to come by, and this is told from the perspective of someone who was there as events unfolded. "The Story of Jane" is a striking example of how women can care for eachother in traumatic situations, and educate their sisters about their bodies, in a way that the often too clinical medical profession does not manage. An interesting look at grass-roots organizing and the politics of the pre-Roe era.
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Inside This Book (learn more)
First Sentence:
The first voice Jenny heard as the anesthetic lifted was the surgeon's, "The sterilization procedure was a success, and congratulations, you're eight weeks pregnant." Read the first page
Key Phrases - Statistically Improbable Phrases (SIPs): (learn more)
induced miscarriages, inducing miscarriages, doing abortions, women having abortions, own abortion, providing abortions, clergy group, performing abortions, new counselors
Key Phrases - Capitalized Phrases (CAPs): (learn more)
New York, Hyde Park, University of Chicago, Supreme Court, Chicago Women's Liberation Union, Abortion Counseling Service, Puerto Rico, Big Jane, Clergy Consultation Service, Cook County Hospital, Harris Wilson, Howard Moody, South Side, The Birth Control Handbook, United States, Democratic National Convention, Jordan Bennett, Red Squad, Sixty-third Street, South Shore Drive, Voters Committed, Call-Back Jane, Betty Friedan, Catholic Church, Big Sister
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