Unplanned: The Dramatic True Story of a Former Planned Parenthood Leader's Eye-Opening Journey across the Life Line [Hardcover]

Abby Johnson (Author), Cindy Lambert (Contributor)

Book Description

Release date: January 11, 2011

Abby Johnson quit her job in October 2009. That simple act became a national news story because Abby was the director of a Planned Parenthood clinic in Texas who, after participating in her first actual abortion procedure, walked across the road to join the Coalition for Life.
 
Unplanned is a heartstopping personal drama of life-and-death encounters, a courtroom battle, and spiritual transformation that speaks hope and compassion into the political controversy that surrounds this issue. Telling Abby’s story from both sides of the abortion clinic property line, this book is a must-read for anyone who cares about the life versus rights debate and helping women who face crisis pregnancies.

Editorial Reviews

Review

When Johnson quit her job as the director of a Planned Parenthood clinic in Texas, the media went wild; lawsuits were filed; prolife advocates rejoiced. Now this former clinic director reveals the details of her dramatic move from abortion rights advocate to "the right side of the fence" and the prolife movement. Johnson began as a volunteer, moving through the ranks until becoming director of the Bryan, Tex., clinic. Then she witnessed an ultrasound-guided abortion, and she changed. "I was taking a new stand, beginning a new life," she says of her move to the other side. This emotional account reveals Johnson's remarkable journey through prochoice thinking, two abortions, her love/hate relationship with prolife advocates outside the clinic, and her eventual understanding of abortion. Prolife advocates will salivate over her story, abortion rights advocates will be skeptical,but those who oppose abortion will find inspiration, education, and emotion. Johnson offers a well-planned, well-written account that will touch nerves on both sides of the issue. (Jan.) --Publishers Weekly Bookline, December 22, 2011

From the Inside Flap

“As I took the ultrasound probe in hand, I could not have imagined how the next ten minutes would shake the foundation of my values and change the course of my life.”
Abby Johnson joined Planned Parenthood as a college student because she wanted to help women in crisis—a goal she believed the organization shared. As she rose through the ranks to become a clinic director, however, things started to shift. Finances grew tighter, clinic practices changed, and Abby became increasingly unsettled about what she was being asked to do. But it wasn’t until she helped perform an actual abortion procedure that Abby fully realized what she’d been a part of all those years.
In the pages of Unplanned, you’ll also discover:

• What Abby found so attractive about the mission and goals of Planned Parenthood
• The personal secret that Abby had kept buried for years
• The things she’d believed and told patients that she discovered not to be true
• An insider’s perspective on Planned Parenthood’s practices as well as the heartfelt but misguided efforts of some radical antiabortion activists
• The courage and resilience she’s seen on both sides of the fence—from staff members to clients in crisis to prayerful volunteers

A compelling story of crisis and change, Unplanned is also a reminder of how grace finds us in unlikely places, and how we can all reach out with love to those who stand on opposing sides.
Abby Johnson holds a B.S. in psychology from Texas A&M University and an M.A. in counseling from Sam Houston State University. She was hired by Planned Parenthood in 2005 and progressed to the position of community services director and health educator, where she served as liaison between the community and Planned Parenthood as media correspondent. Later promoted to health center director, Johnson ran both the family planning and abortion programs. In 2009 she left Planned Parenthood and joined the local Coalition for Life as a volunteer. She continues her volunteer activities and now works on projects with the national 40 Days for Life campaign. She and her husband, Doug, have a young daughter and live in Texas.
Cindy Lambert, vice president and associate publisher at Zondervan, is a veteran of the bookselling industry. For nearly two decades she owned an award-winning bookstore before expanding into leadership roles in distribution, editorial, and publishing in such companies as Ingram, Simon & Schuster, and Zondervan. As a speaker Cindy has addressed audiences in publishing and bookselling conferences as well as churches and retreats. She and her husband, Dave, have six children and seven grandchildren, and live in Michigan.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Hardcover: 288 pages
• Publisher: Tyndale Momentum (January 11, 2011)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1414339399
• ISBN-13: 978-1414339399
• Product Dimensions: 6.1 x 0.9 x 9.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (390 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #50,347 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #1 in Books > Politics & Social Sciences > Women's Studies > Abortion & Birth Control

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Most Helpful Customer Reviews

151 of 174 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Fantastic! Amazing! Moving! A Must Read January 11, 2011

By John Weingarten

Format:Hardcover|Amazon Verified Purchase

I've rarely been so riveted or so moved by a book. All I can say is everyone who cares about life should read this book. Everyone who considers themselves pro-choice should read this book. Everyone who thinks they understand what Planned Parenthood's agenda is should read this book. Everyone who has been hurt by past abortions or is considering abortion should read this book.

Abby Johnson is a modern-day hero. For that reason alone--to read the story of person willing to walk away from an eight-year career, because it's "the right thing to do," now knowing where her heart and God were leading her, makes the book worth the read.

You'll learn why those other modern-day heroes, the pro-life prayer volunteers and sidewalk counselors, particularly those involved in the organizations the author cites as a major key to her conversion--The Coalition for Life and 40 Days for Life--deserve special recognition. Through constant peaceful vigil, prayer, and love outside her Planned Parenthood facility (and hundreds of others) over eight years from 2001 to 2009, she came to learn the truth.

Having been involved in 40 Days for Life campaigns in our community, first as a prayer volunteer, and now as a local campaign director, I've seen firsthand the power of those 40 day campaigns Abby writes about in her book. Abby writes about how she witnessed babies saved from abortions through these campaigns (though while she was working for Planned Parenthood, she viewed the sidewalk counselors "on the other side of the fence" as the enemy--for the most part).

How amazing it was to read about the long journey Abby took and her perspective on the pro-lifers on the other side of the fence. I also think this book will become a classic, in part, for the back story about what will surely go down in history as one of the most important parts of today's monumentally important civil-rights movement--the fight to make abortion unthinkable.

I do believe when we look back at what is written about how abortion ended (and I pray that will happen in my lifetime) we'll read about those 40 Days for Life campaigns, we'll read about the people who started them, Marilisa, Shawn, and David, and the others who were there the first day Abby showed up as a volunteer at Planned Parenthood, and we'll read about Abby--and by then perhaps the many other Abbys who, inspired by Abby's story, left their jobs as directors in the abortion industry and started showing women, and men, a better way.

I can't recommend the book highly enough! I'll be encouraging everyone I know to purchase a copy.

103 of 120 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Honest, real and informative January 11, 2011

By E. Stanford

Format:Hardcover|Amazon Verified Purchase

I read this book in one sitting because it was such a compelling story of conversion. Abby does not sugar coat her feelings, she shares them honestly, and that may be uncomfortable for some pro-lifers. Her story is a reasoned and emotional one of brokenness that is healed by God in the time and way that she could handle. It is a beautiful story with many moments that I will never forget. Buy a copy for yourself and a friend, you won't want to risk losing this book which crosses so many categories as to be a true classic. I wonder who will play Abby in the movie???

37 of 42 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Blown Away January 11, 2011

By David Bathon

Format:Hardcover

Couldn't put it down! Sacrificed quite a bit of sleep finishing it, but it was completely worth it, one of the most fascinating and inspirational works I've read in quite some time. Being able to walk with Johnson through the eight years she spent with Planned Parenthood and seeing her journey from one side of the fence to the other, always motivated by her desire to help women in need was enlightening. If I could rate this 6+ stars I would. After you read it you're going to want to share it with everyone you know, might want to buy a few copies!