by Hannah Matthews
Atria Books
5/2/2023, paperback
SKU: 9781668005255
An eye-opening, transformative, and actionable journey through radical and compassionate community abortion care and support work: what it looks like, how each and every one of us can practice and incorporate it into our daily lives, and what we can imagine and build together in a post-Roe v. Wade United States.
Abortion touches all of our lives. While statistically nearly everyone knows someone who will receive an abortion in their lifetime, limiting narratives flatten our understanding and assumptions around abortion, while stigma and criminalization stifle discussion. What we lack are the language and tools to provide care and support to all of the members of our communities who receive abortions, before, during, and after them.
Now, Hannah Matthews--abortion care worker, doula, journalist and essayist, and reproductive rights advocate--breathes depth and nuance into the oversimplified narratives surrounding abortion, presenting an accessible guide to the emotional and physical realities of providing and supporting abortion care for our own communities. Featuring stories of real abortion experiences, including Matthews's own, You or Someone You Love offers a glimpse into the stunningly diverse landscape of abortion care across gender, race, and class lines, while illustrating how we can better support and protect the people who seek abortion in a country that increasingly promotes secrecy and shame.
Reviews:
"[Matthews] substantially widens our ideas of what abortion does, can, and should look like. [Her] voice exudes knowledge and forgiveness, turning a controversial topic into something bordering on cozy... the narrative reflects a refreshing paradigm shift, providing a comprehensive view of abortion in modern America. A moving, timely vision of what abortion care could become in the U.S." -- Kirkus Reviews (starred review)
"Hannah Matthews offers this fierce, beautiful, compassionate book, equal parts memoir and informative nonfiction... comforting readers and building trust with her brave, heartfelt, and gorgeous prose... Readers will leave with much knowledge--and a new role model and friend in Matthews." -- Booklist (starred review)
"A deeply compassionate book set across faiths, gender identity, circumstances, and race. Matthews has warmly reframed a stigmatized procedure as part of holistic healthcare with emotional nuance and reverence." -- Koa Beck, author of White Feminism
About the Author:
Hannah Matthews is an abortion doula and funder, clinic worker, hotline counselor, and writer. Her writing has appeared in Elle, Esquire, Teen Vogue, McSweeney's, Time, and other publications. She lives in Maine with her family.