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When No One Else Will
In the fall of 1939, while Europe grapples with the outbreak of war, Mimi Lukas wages a private battle in her Chicago neighborhood. Her husband, Stan, once a promising White Sox player, has been sidelined by a broken leg. His hopes of returning to baseball are dwindling along with their savings. As Stan sinks into inertia, Mimi resolves to go back to nursing.
When a friend tells her of a women's clinic in need of a nurse, Mimi hesitates. Such places are illegal and at odds with her religious upbringing. But Dr. Gabler’s office isn't the dingy establishment Mimi envisioned. The space is clean, bright, and welcoming, the staff skillful. Patients are treated with dignity and compassion, even as they are sworn to secrecy about what happens within its walls.
The patients, too, are not who Mimi expected. Some are heartbreakingly young. Most are married, and many already have children. Police and state prosecutors are paid handsomely to turn a blind eye. As Mimi finds kinship with her colleagues and with an officer on retainer, she begins her own private reckoning between what is legal and what is necessary, no matter how painful or inconvenient. But Mimi senses the tide turning against them. She knows, too, that soon she must decide how much she will risk to defend the ideals she's come to embrace through hard-won experience . . .
When a friend tells her of a women's clinic in need of a nurse, Mimi hesitates. Such places are illegal and at odds with her religious upbringing. But Dr. Gabler’s office isn't the dingy establishment Mimi envisioned. The space is clean, bright, and welcoming, the staff skillful. Patients are treated with dignity and compassion, even as they are sworn to secrecy about what happens within its walls.
The patients, too, are not who Mimi expected. Some are heartbreakingly young. Most are married, and many already have children. Police and state prosecutors are paid handsomely to turn a blind eye. As Mimi finds kinship with her colleagues and with an officer on retainer, she begins her own private reckoning between what is legal and what is necessary, no matter how painful or inconvenient. But Mimi senses the tide turning against them. She knows, too, that soon she must decide how much she will risk to defend the ideals she's come to embrace through hard-won experience . . .
369 pages, Paperback
First published May 26, 2026
About the author
Amanda Skenandore
20 books2,473 followersAmanda Skenandore is an award-winning author of historical fiction and a registered nurse. Her books have been translated into multiple languages and garnered accolades from the American Library Association, Reader’s Digest, Silicon Valley Reads, and Apple Books. She is a 2024 Nevada Arts Council’s literary fellow. Amanda lives in Las Vegas with her husband and their pet turtle, Lenore.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 168 reviews
May 31, 2026
1939, Chicago. Mimi Lukas husband Stan was a White Sox player, when he breaks his leg and it ends his career. As her husband tries to come to terms with never playing the games he loves again, he switches off from what’s happening at home and is depressed. The couple have two children Junior and Penny and her mother-in-law Halina lives with them, their saving are almost gone and Mimi decides to go back to nursing.
Mimi has worked in over ten years, she gets fired from one hospital and bumps into an old friend Emily who mentions a women’s clinic in Loop needs a nurse. Dr. Gabler’s office isn't what Mimi was expecting, she thought it might be a private surgery and for wealthy patients. The clients come from all walks of life, they are treated with dignity and compassion, and post op care is provided but must never mention what happens here and it’s a secret.
America is still in the grips of the depression and with the threat of another war looming people are worried and many can’t afford another mouth to feed. Police and state prosecutors are paid handsomely to turn a blind eye and Mimi becomes friends with her colleagues and an officer on a retainer.
Mimi knows what she’s doing is helping desperate women and teenage girls and it's illegal, all they need is one person to report the clinic and it will all come crashing down and her secret will be revealed and her family will discover the truth and she doesn’t want to hurt them.
I received a copy of When No One Else Will by Amanda Skenandore from NetGalley and Kensington Publishing for an unbiased review and all thoughts expressed are my own. Contraceptives in the 1930’s were expensive, hard to access, having an abortion was the last resort and the ladies had no other options.
Five stars from me and if you've read Looking for Jane by Heather Marshall I suggest considering No One Else Will by M. Skenandore. It’s not about deciding what’s right or wrong but about choices and women having rights over their own bodies.
Mimi has worked in over ten years, she gets fired from one hospital and bumps into an old friend Emily who mentions a women’s clinic in Loop needs a nurse. Dr. Gabler’s office isn't what Mimi was expecting, she thought it might be a private surgery and for wealthy patients. The clients come from all walks of life, they are treated with dignity and compassion, and post op care is provided but must never mention what happens here and it’s a secret.
America is still in the grips of the depression and with the threat of another war looming people are worried and many can’t afford another mouth to feed. Police and state prosecutors are paid handsomely to turn a blind eye and Mimi becomes friends with her colleagues and an officer on a retainer.
Mimi knows what she’s doing is helping desperate women and teenage girls and it's illegal, all they need is one person to report the clinic and it will all come crashing down and her secret will be revealed and her family will discover the truth and she doesn’t want to hurt them.
I received a copy of When No One Else Will by Amanda Skenandore from NetGalley and Kensington Publishing for an unbiased review and all thoughts expressed are my own. Contraceptives in the 1930’s were expensive, hard to access, having an abortion was the last resort and the ladies had no other options.
Five stars from me and if you've read Looking for Jane by Heather Marshall I suggest considering No One Else Will by M. Skenandore. It’s not about deciding what’s right or wrong but about choices and women having rights over their own bodies.
Review of advance copy received from Goodreads Giveaways
I have always loved Amanda's stories. I have followed this wonderful author since her debut BETWEEN EARTH AND SKY.
WHEN NO ONE ELSE WILL doesn't disappoint. Another winner!
WHEN NO ONE ELSE WILL doesn't disappoint. Another winner!
May 16, 2026
WHEN NO ONE ELSE WILL
By Amanda Skenandore
Narrated by Nicole Poole
Compassion, Risk, and Impossible Choices
Inspired by the true story of an illegal women’s clinic at the center of a landmark trial in 1940s Chicago, this compelling and timely historical novel follows Mimi, a nurse and mother who risks everything to care for women with nowhere else to turn.
Mimi is a compassionate yet conflicted character, torn between her religious beliefs, financial struggles, the demands of a husband wallowing in self-pity, and her growing empathy for the desperate women seeking help at the clinic. As she becomes more deeply involved, she risks not only her nursing career and freedom, but also her reputation, personal safety, and the stability of her family life.
Amanda Skenandore handles a controversial subject with honesty, compassion, and emotional depth, exploring the impossible choices many women faced during that era. The story raises difficult moral questions while remaining deeply human and character-driven.
Nicole Poole’s narration adds warmth and emotional nuance to Mimi’s journey. Combining both audio and ebook made the experience especially immersive and impactful.
Amanda Skenandore blends historical detail with emotionally driven storytelling. The prose feels heartfelt and engaging, with a strong focus on character development and the ethical dilemmas Mimi faces. The pacing allows the emotional weight of the story to build naturally, making it both compelling and reflective.
“…we must know our past to fully understand our present, navigate what lies ahead and build a better future.”
I’ve read one other book by Skenandore and enjoyed it, and this too is a well-written and compelling story.
Thank you to NetGalley, Kensington Publishing, and Highbridge Audio | RB Media for the eARC and ALC.
June 6, 2026
This latest book (May 26, 2026 publication)When No One Else Will from Amanda Skenandore is excellent, and in fact, it might be my favorite book by Skenandore to date. It addresses many emotional topics - war, difficulties in marriage, husbands without a job, poverty, family secrets, injustice, and the struggles with women's health issues. The story begins in 1939 Chicago, and main character Mimi needs employment to keep her family going since her husband, a professional athlete, is sidelined with a broken leg. This book is very realistic in handling young wife Mimi's mental struggles with her religious beliefs versus her desire to use her nursing skills, all at a time when there aren't a lot of jobs available. Accepting the position in an illegal women's clinic is dangerous for Mimi, but back alley "solutions" for desperate women are dangerous for many, and this book reminds readers of the importance of compassion. This is a powerful book!
November 18, 2025
This book punched me right in the chest in the best way. I could feel every bit of the main character’s emotion, the fear, the frustration, the impossible choices, the quiet strength she did not even know she had. It captures that awful time in history when women basically needed a man’s signature just to exist, when society decided our only value was cooking meals and having babies.
The author shows exactly what women were up against, men with egos too big to let their wives work, families and churches telling them to stay small, and a legal system designed to crush them. And through all of that, you see these women trying to help each other, holding onto hope, carrying loss, and still showing up with compassion.
What I loved most is how real Mimi felt. Her inner turmoil is so raw you can almost hear her thinking. She is torn between what is “allowed” and what is actually right, and that battle is the heart of the story. The clinic, the patients, the danger, it all feels alive and incredibly human.
It is emotional, powerful, and honestly important. One of those books that stays with you because it shows how far we have come and how easily those rights could be taken again.
Absolutely worth reading.
#arc review
The author shows exactly what women were up against, men with egos too big to let their wives work, families and churches telling them to stay small, and a legal system designed to crush them. And through all of that, you see these women trying to help each other, holding onto hope, carrying loss, and still showing up with compassion.
What I loved most is how real Mimi felt. Her inner turmoil is so raw you can almost hear her thinking. She is torn between what is “allowed” and what is actually right, and that battle is the heart of the story. The clinic, the patients, the danger, it all feels alive and incredibly human.
It is emotional, powerful, and honestly important. One of those books that stays with you because it shows how far we have come and how easily those rights could be taken again.
Absolutely worth reading.
#arc review
June 23, 2026
This is a Medical Historical Fiction. I read this book by listening to the audiobook, and I really liked the narrator for this audiobook. This book covers a topic that brings a lot of emotions and feelings, and it is a hot topic even today. I think it covers the topic very well, and I think it was well done in that way. I think the beginning was slow to get going, and I almost DNF this book a couple of times. I also felt the ending did not wrap up everything really well. I received an ARC of this book. This review is my own honest opinion about the book like all my reviews are.
November 19, 2025
An exceptional novel ! Very cleverly written, this novel deals with illegal abortions in the USA in the 1930's and 1940's. Based on the story of a real illegal clinic and the real persons who lead it, the reader gets numerous information about law, cases and the various social contexts in which women sought out the clinic. This is extremely interesting! Only Mimmy and her family are fictional characters.
What I particularly loved and appreciated in this novel, is the fact that nowhere in the book, one guesses the author's own opinion about abortion. The reader makes his/her own opinion. I found this very subtle and cleverly done. This is obviously a thought provoking topic, and the novel offers all kinds of reasons why a woman decides to have an abortion without allowing for any judgement.
There is more in the novel though which makes the story even more worthwhile: women's place in society, in the home hierarchy as well as at work. After years of suffering from the Depression, some women had to find a way to make the home work through work for instance, having fewer children.... A gripping, emotional, interesting and brilliant novel! Highly recommended!
I received a digital copy of this novel from NetGalley and I have voluntarily written an honest review.
What I particularly loved and appreciated in this novel, is the fact that nowhere in the book, one guesses the author's own opinion about abortion. The reader makes his/her own opinion. I found this very subtle and cleverly done. This is obviously a thought provoking topic, and the novel offers all kinds of reasons why a woman decides to have an abortion without allowing for any judgement.
There is more in the novel though which makes the story even more worthwhile: women's place in society, in the home hierarchy as well as at work. After years of suffering from the Depression, some women had to find a way to make the home work through work for instance, having fewer children.... A gripping, emotional, interesting and brilliant novel! Highly recommended!
I received a digital copy of this novel from NetGalley and I have voluntarily written an honest review.
June 11, 2026
This is the true story of an illegal women’s clinic in 1940s Chicago and the women who risked their freedom to work there. I liked that it was about women who stepped up to help other women during a time when women had so little rights. The author did a good job of presenting the compassion, judgement and difficult decisions these women had to make. This book didn’t wow me. It was slowly paced and repetitive in parts. Also, I felt like the main character was working in the clinic mainly for the money without any sense of moral conviction. I’ve read better books (“The women on platform two”) on this topic. It was a quick read and I’m glad to have read it.
May 27, 2026
This book made me sick. The first “procedure” aka killing a baby is described in such a no-big deal manner & I wanted to vomit. 🤮 & it brought tears to my eyes. THERE IS NO EXCUSE for killing an innocent unborn baby. Abortion is NOT healthcare…it’s murder. I cannot continue to read this book. I recommend Why the Sky is Blue by Susan Meissner. It’s sad because I’ve loved Amanda Skenandore’s other books & so that’s why I grabbed this one. I am no longer a fan if she can justify abortion.
April 21, 2026
When No One Else Will is compelling historical fiction set in Chicago is 1939. Mimi is a young wife and mother whose husband, a professional baseball player, is unable to work. Desperate to take care of her family, she takes a job as a nurse in a clinic that is not only illegal, it puts her at odds with her own convictions. Mimi was a fascinating character, swept up in a world she never imagined for herself, but always keeping her children at the forefront of her mind. I received an advance review copy of this book from the publisher.
June 6, 2026
This book touched me in ways I can’t explain. I sobbed my eyes out at the bravery and sacrifices women before my generation made to help other women in a time where abortions were illegal. It feels so eery to be living in a time where again, this is being threatened and already has been taken away in so many states. While this is deemed historical fiction, it is not in many ways. To learn that 80% of the book was based on a true story here in Chicago, as well as the direction our country is headed because of evil men who want to police women’s bodies, made me so emotional. I think of the brave women who put their freedom on the line to help other women, knowing that risk and doing it anyway, is braver than anything. This book is deep, raw, emotional, and so well written. I thank the author for writing such a real story in such a dark time in America.
May 27, 2026
"When No One Else Will" is a skillfully written and compelling historical novel by Amanda Skenandore. It was inspired by a real underground clinic in Chicago and includes the people who operated it. Knowing that the story was based on a real clinic and its staff added an additional emotional layer for this reader and gave me a needed insight into the legal system of the time.
Mimi Lukas, wife and mother to two young children, is navigating her own private war. Her husband, a baseball player, is sidelined with an injury, the savings account is vanishing, and the children are hungry. After having the newly purchased refrigerator repossessed, she decides to return to nursing and finds limited opportunities for her return. Much to her chagrin, finally she secures a job at a clinic, better known as an illegal woman's health center. Even though its services clashes with her personal and religious upbringing, she soon finds the clinic to be a clean, compassionate sanctuary where woman are treated as humans rather than an unsolvable problem. One can't help but appreciate the transformation of Mimi as she goes from a stay-at-home mother in the 1930's to a woman willing to risk her freedom to help others in a desperate situation. Along the way she encounters friendship, purpose and camaraderie among her fellow workers.
This book highlights the resilience of women and the harsh realities of the time. It is a timely reminder of how hardly our women's right are won and how often they are and continue to be threatened. Skenandore's book is thought provoking, very emotional, and a story that stays with you well after you have turned the final page.
Thanks to Book Browse for providing me with a free copy of this book for review and discussion.
Mimi Lukas, wife and mother to two young children, is navigating her own private war. Her husband, a baseball player, is sidelined with an injury, the savings account is vanishing, and the children are hungry. After having the newly purchased refrigerator repossessed, she decides to return to nursing and finds limited opportunities for her return. Much to her chagrin, finally she secures a job at a clinic, better known as an illegal woman's health center. Even though its services clashes with her personal and religious upbringing, she soon finds the clinic to be a clean, compassionate sanctuary where woman are treated as humans rather than an unsolvable problem. One can't help but appreciate the transformation of Mimi as she goes from a stay-at-home mother in the 1930's to a woman willing to risk her freedom to help others in a desperate situation. Along the way she encounters friendship, purpose and camaraderie among her fellow workers.
This book highlights the resilience of women and the harsh realities of the time. It is a timely reminder of how hardly our women's right are won and how often they are and continue to be threatened. Skenandore's book is thought provoking, very emotional, and a story that stays with you well after you have turned the final page.
Thanks to Book Browse for providing me with a free copy of this book for review and discussion.
November 24, 2025
*I received an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
I’ve read plenty of historical fiction, and I was especially interested in this title because it’s a topic I haven't come across much before. The story centers on Mimi, a nurse, sister, and mother, who is at the heart of the abortion storyline without experiencing it herself. I liked how Skenandore chose a character who learns about the industry so we, the readers, can learn with her. However, I did think the emotions would hit harder if there were a 1st person narrator, rather than a 3rd person omniscient narrator.
As the storyline progresses, the web of characters slowly reveals different perspectives and reasons for assisting these women looking for help. No matter how you feel about abortion, I think the story is engrossing without being overtly political. The author’s note at the end explains how she wanted to provide a story about the pre-Roe v Wade era and the extensive research she put into the novel. I was surprised to learn many of the characters (not Mimi) were based on real people. Near the end, I found some of the events too convenient; too coincidental to be believable. Although most stem from history, Skenandore does admit she adjusted the timeline to benefit the novel. Mimi has a short-term job as a night nurse, and her duties were more detailed than I expected. Then I learned the author is a registered nurse. It’s fun to read about topics you know the writer genuinely knows and cares about.
Overall, I would recommend this title to fans of historical fiction, those with an interest in reproductive rights or sociology, and readers who like strong female characters.
I’ve read plenty of historical fiction, and I was especially interested in this title because it’s a topic I haven't come across much before. The story centers on Mimi, a nurse, sister, and mother, who is at the heart of the abortion storyline without experiencing it herself. I liked how Skenandore chose a character who learns about the industry so we, the readers, can learn with her. However, I did think the emotions would hit harder if there were a 1st person narrator, rather than a 3rd person omniscient narrator.
As the storyline progresses, the web of characters slowly reveals different perspectives and reasons for assisting these women looking for help. No matter how you feel about abortion, I think the story is engrossing without being overtly political. The author’s note at the end explains how she wanted to provide a story about the pre-Roe v Wade era and the extensive research she put into the novel. I was surprised to learn many of the characters (not Mimi) were based on real people. Near the end, I found some of the events too convenient; too coincidental to be believable. Although most stem from history, Skenandore does admit she adjusted the timeline to benefit the novel. Mimi has a short-term job as a night nurse, and her duties were more detailed than I expected. Then I learned the author is a registered nurse. It’s fun to read about topics you know the writer genuinely knows and cares about.
Overall, I would recommend this title to fans of historical fiction, those with an interest in reproductive rights or sociology, and readers who like strong female characters.
March 11, 2026
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️My review: I have read all of Skenandore's books. She is an amazing author no matter the setting of her novels. Her attention to historic facts and details, paired with her deep and realistic characters, make her books fascinating, suspenseful, and educational. This book was no different, although even more suspenseful than some of her others.
Mimi has to go back to working as a nurse in 1930's Chicago when her husband breaks his leg and is cut from the Chicago White Sox. She needs a job that pays well and isn't only night shifts. She is directed by a friend towards an office that seems too good to be true. It's a women's clinic where abortions are done. Mimi is horrified by this but they desperately need the money.
Over time, Mimi realizes the women who come there need help and in that time period help is hard to find. People are not always what they seem, and difficult choices abound. Mimi also creates relationships with the people in the office and those in the area who help them.
I read this book holding my breath at times. Mimi evolved into a brave, fierce woman who did what needed to be done, illegal or not. But it was stressful and illegal.
The majority of this book is based on a true clinic in Chicago in the 1930's and 40's. Many of Mimi's circle were real people and the consequences they faced actually occurred.
Another amazing book by Skenandore. I was immersed in the time period and in Mimi's life. This was a time and place where women were an afterthought but still had to run their families and survive. Having a choice about family, their bodies, and their futures is again a timely topic in this country. What happens when women loose autonomy and agency is devastating. This book spells it all out.
Thank you to NetGalley and Kensington Publishing for an advance digital copy. These opinions are my own.
Mimi has to go back to working as a nurse in 1930's Chicago when her husband breaks his leg and is cut from the Chicago White Sox. She needs a job that pays well and isn't only night shifts. She is directed by a friend towards an office that seems too good to be true. It's a women's clinic where abortions are done. Mimi is horrified by this but they desperately need the money.
Over time, Mimi realizes the women who come there need help and in that time period help is hard to find. People are not always what they seem, and difficult choices abound. Mimi also creates relationships with the people in the office and those in the area who help them.
I read this book holding my breath at times. Mimi evolved into a brave, fierce woman who did what needed to be done, illegal or not. But it was stressful and illegal.
The majority of this book is based on a true clinic in Chicago in the 1930's and 40's. Many of Mimi's circle were real people and the consequences they faced actually occurred.
Another amazing book by Skenandore. I was immersed in the time period and in Mimi's life. This was a time and place where women were an afterthought but still had to run their families and survive. Having a choice about family, their bodies, and their futures is again a timely topic in this country. What happens when women loose autonomy and agency is devastating. This book spells it all out.
Thank you to NetGalley and Kensington Publishing for an advance digital copy. These opinions are my own.
May 27, 2026
I love the title of this book! When no one else will put food on your table, what do you do? When no one else will help their neighbor, what do you do? When no one else will speak up for the marginalized, what are you willing to do?
There is a bridge that connects and links the past and the present, whereas this books clearly shows that connection. Of this country’s past and present. Have we developed as a nation to pull people into being greater collectively and not just individually.
Time period: and period of time in post Great Depression and beginning of World War II,
Our story does center around a true story about an illegal abortion clinic with a brave nurse at its center. The FMC Mimi, a nurse, married to an injured baseball player in Chicago must work for her family to have a roof over over their head and food on the table.
Amanda Skenandore writes a compelling story of strength and courage when life throws curveballs everywhere you turn. A mother or wife is the nucleus and stabilizing point of relationships or situations that seem turbulent. I’m amazed at the writing that centers around an actual trial and actual events taken place, even thought the FMC is fictious there are several women who worked when men couldn’t and challenged society’s laws and perceptions.
The author makes us sit in the regressive mindset that is prevalent even though technologically we are progressed. Banning anything has never worked for societies, it just creates a culture of fear and heavy policing and compliance.
Thanks to #NetGalley for providing the advanced audio version in exchange for an honest review.
#WhenNoOneElseWill #netgalley #historicalfiction
Rating: 4 stars
There is a bridge that connects and links the past and the present, whereas this books clearly shows that connection. Of this country’s past and present. Have we developed as a nation to pull people into being greater collectively and not just individually.
Time period: and period of time in post Great Depression and beginning of World War II,
Our story does center around a true story about an illegal abortion clinic with a brave nurse at its center. The FMC Mimi, a nurse, married to an injured baseball player in Chicago must work for her family to have a roof over over their head and food on the table.
Amanda Skenandore writes a compelling story of strength and courage when life throws curveballs everywhere you turn. A mother or wife is the nucleus and stabilizing point of relationships or situations that seem turbulent. I’m amazed at the writing that centers around an actual trial and actual events taken place, even thought the FMC is fictious there are several women who worked when men couldn’t and challenged society’s laws and perceptions.
The author makes us sit in the regressive mindset that is prevalent even though technologically we are progressed. Banning anything has never worked for societies, it just creates a culture of fear and heavy policing and compliance.
Thanks to #NetGalley for providing the advanced audio version in exchange for an honest review.
#WhenNoOneElseWill #netgalley #historicalfiction
Rating: 4 stars
May 19, 2026
4.5⭐️
I had the audiobook of this historical fiction read by Nicole Poole who adds to the enjoyment. I don’t think I’d have enjoyed reading as much as it’s slower paced.
It’s a new subject matter for me, I always like something different.
1939 Chicago Mimi’s world has collapsed around her following her husbands promising baseball career imploding following an injury. Stan is living in denial and inertia so Mimi is left to support the family. Mimi starts work in a women’s clinic.
I was drawn by the topic, but it’s the characters that sold it to me.
This is a slower paced very character driven story, it shows the moral dilemma, the need of the service, the risks, and the costs to the individuals involved. It’s a moving story. The author really drew me into their world and struggles. I really liked Mimi, who I admired, she held her family together at a time of crisis, she could see the need for the service they provided, my heart went out to her. I even warmed slightly to Mimi’s mother in law at the end. The letters from Mimi’s sister Jenny are especially moving.
WOW do read/ listen the authors notes they are eye opening.
It may be historical fiction but the topic still has pertinence in current times for some. Due to the subject matter this book might not be for everyone.
I had this book for free
I had the audiobook of this historical fiction read by Nicole Poole who adds to the enjoyment. I don’t think I’d have enjoyed reading as much as it’s slower paced.
It’s a new subject matter for me, I always like something different.
1939 Chicago Mimi’s world has collapsed around her following her husbands promising baseball career imploding following an injury. Stan is living in denial and inertia so Mimi is left to support the family. Mimi starts work in a women’s clinic.
I was drawn by the topic, but it’s the characters that sold it to me.
This is a slower paced very character driven story, it shows the moral dilemma, the need of the service, the risks, and the costs to the individuals involved. It’s a moving story. The author really drew me into their world and struggles. I really liked Mimi, who I admired, she held her family together at a time of crisis, she could see the need for the service they provided, my heart went out to her. I even warmed slightly to Mimi’s mother in law at the end. The letters from Mimi’s sister Jenny are especially moving.
WOW do read/ listen the authors notes they are eye opening.
It may be historical fiction but the topic still has pertinence in current times for some. Due to the subject matter this book might not be for everyone.
I had this book for free
June 25, 2026
I loved reading this book! It is the story of an abortion clinic in Chicago run when abortions were illegal in the 1930's and 1940's. The story is told by Mimi, one of the nurses who worked in the clinic. The story of the women who came to the clinic of their own volition is an eye-opener. Many of the women were poverty stricken and barely feeding the 4-5 children they already had at home. Preventing another child meant they could take care of the children they had at home and feed them. Some were victims of rape. Most had excellent reasons for what they did. Yet the "law of the land" made abortions criminal.
It amazes me that 90 years later there are still so many mixed feelings about abortions even when it is the "right thing to do" for some people. The Supreme Court overturning Roe vs. Wade has made it difficult to obtain abortions in some states although my understanding is that many women are using mail order abortions today. Ah the problem continues.
It amazes me that 90 years later there are still so many mixed feelings about abortions even when it is the "right thing to do" for some people. The Supreme Court overturning Roe vs. Wade has made it difficult to obtain abortions in some states although my understanding is that many women are using mail order abortions today. Ah the problem continues.
June 7, 2026
Based on true events, anyone who wants to know about abortion in America (pre WW2.-1942) should read When No one Else Will. Thank you author Amanda Skensndore for a highly moving read. Also if you”re interested in baseball ⚾️ during the same period there is a bit about that too!
June 9, 2026
This subject is super important and I've read other books about the same issue/times. Unfortunately this was my least favorite book by Amanda Skenandore who I consider one of my favorite authors. The writing was lovely as always but this was slower paced throughout and I don't think I ever connected truly with the main character. She got into the abortion practice because she needed money. We did see her realize what she was doing helped a ton of people, however, I never really felt that this was a passion for her and I think that was what was most missing for me. It still felt like something she really did for the pay. I don't think that is at all what I was supposed to come away with. Still go find all of Amanda's books and read them. Many of them are literally the best historical fiction has to offer.
May 28, 2026
This book should be a must-read for all women. It is a powerful reminder of women’s rights and their importance. I have been a big fan of this author since her since reading The Second Life of Mirielle West in 2021 - I still think of Mirielle years later. This story and these characters will stay with me for a long time as well - it’s unforgettable. Thankful to Amanda Skenandore for writing and sharing this compelling story! Nicole Poole was a wonderful narrator.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
Amanda Skenandore’s When No One Else Will is a work of historical fiction that reveals itself, almost stealthily, to be rooted in fact—a revelation that arrives only at the novel’s conclusion, and one that retroactively deepens its moral gravity. Had this truth been foregrounded, the reader might enter the narrative with a heightened awareness of its stakes; yet there is also something fitting in Skenandore’s choice. Like the hidden world she depicts, the story’s veracity emerges from the shadows, insisting on recognition only after one has already borne witness.
At the center is Mimi Lucas, initially rendered with almost archetypal precision: a 1930s Chicago housewife, hemmed in by economic hardship, familial obligation, and the quiet suffocations of expectation. Her husband, once a White Sox player, is reduced by injury and inertia, his thwarted masculinity curdling into despondency. Around them press the demands of survival—two children to feed, a critical Polish mother-in-law whose presence sharpens every domestic tension. Skenandore sketches this milieu with a careful eye for both cultural specificity and emotional claustrophobia, making Mimi’s eventual departure from it feel less like rebellion than necessity.
The novel’s moral fulcrum arrives when Mimi, prompted by a friend, seeks employment at what she believes to be a medical clinic, only to discover it is an illegal abortion practice. Here, Skenandore resists simplification. Mimi’s decision to remain is neither impulsive nor ideologically driven; it is instead born of a fraught calculus in which maternal duty, economic desperation, and ethical unease collide. The courage required is not the dramatic heroism of grand gestures, but the quieter, more corrosive kind—the willingness to inhabit ambiguity, to act in ways that may never be publicly defended.
What follows is a gradual, deeply human transformation. Mimi’s initial misgivings yield not to indifference, but to empathy. Skenandore is particularly adept at illuminating the patients who pass through the clinic’s doors: women from disparate circumstances, each carrying her own story of fear, coercion, or necessity. These are not abstractions or symbols, but individuals rendered with dignity and specificity. The clinic, precarious and illicit, becomes paradoxically a site of care—one in which practitioners, themselves vulnerable to legal and social ruin, strive to provide safety where none officially exists.
It is in this tension that the novel finds its greatest power. The practitioners operate under constant threat, their work sustained through bribery and subterfuge, their reputations—and freedom—perpetually at risk. Skenandore does not romanticize this world; rather, she underscores the steep personal cost of participation. To be involved is to live in a state of vigilance, to accept that one’s moral choices may be judged harshly by a society unwilling to acknowledge the conditions that necessitate them. The eventual courtroom drama crystallizes these tensions, bringing into stark relief the dissonance between law and lived reality, between public condemnation and private desperation.
Yet what lingers most is the novel’s profound empathy—not only for the women seeking care, but for those who provide it. Caregivers here are neither saints nor villains; they are individuals navigating an impossible terrain, attempting, however imperfectly, to alleviate suffering. Skenandore invites the reader to consider the emotional toll of such work: the accumulation of stories, the weight of responsibility, the knowledge that compassion itself can be criminalized.
The historical setting inevitably resonates with contemporary debates, though the novel refrains from overt didacticism. Instead, it offers a more enduring insight: that the intersection of medicine, morality, and law has long been fraught, and that those who step into its most contested spaces do so at significant personal risk. The “high price” paid by Mimi and her colleagues is not merely legal or social, but existential—the cost of living with choices that defy easy categorization.
When No One Else Will ultimately succeeds not because it argues a position, but because it enlarges the reader’s capacity for understanding. By the time its true-story origins are revealed, one recognizes that the narrative has already accomplished something rare: it has made visible a hidden history of courage and care, and in doing so, it asks us to reconsider the boundaries of both.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC in return for an honest review
At the center is Mimi Lucas, initially rendered with almost archetypal precision: a 1930s Chicago housewife, hemmed in by economic hardship, familial obligation, and the quiet suffocations of expectation. Her husband, once a White Sox player, is reduced by injury and inertia, his thwarted masculinity curdling into despondency. Around them press the demands of survival—two children to feed, a critical Polish mother-in-law whose presence sharpens every domestic tension. Skenandore sketches this milieu with a careful eye for both cultural specificity and emotional claustrophobia, making Mimi’s eventual departure from it feel less like rebellion than necessity.
The novel’s moral fulcrum arrives when Mimi, prompted by a friend, seeks employment at what she believes to be a medical clinic, only to discover it is an illegal abortion practice. Here, Skenandore resists simplification. Mimi’s decision to remain is neither impulsive nor ideologically driven; it is instead born of a fraught calculus in which maternal duty, economic desperation, and ethical unease collide. The courage required is not the dramatic heroism of grand gestures, but the quieter, more corrosive kind—the willingness to inhabit ambiguity, to act in ways that may never be publicly defended.
What follows is a gradual, deeply human transformation. Mimi’s initial misgivings yield not to indifference, but to empathy. Skenandore is particularly adept at illuminating the patients who pass through the clinic’s doors: women from disparate circumstances, each carrying her own story of fear, coercion, or necessity. These are not abstractions or symbols, but individuals rendered with dignity and specificity. The clinic, precarious and illicit, becomes paradoxically a site of care—one in which practitioners, themselves vulnerable to legal and social ruin, strive to provide safety where none officially exists.
It is in this tension that the novel finds its greatest power. The practitioners operate under constant threat, their work sustained through bribery and subterfuge, their reputations—and freedom—perpetually at risk. Skenandore does not romanticize this world; rather, she underscores the steep personal cost of participation. To be involved is to live in a state of vigilance, to accept that one’s moral choices may be judged harshly by a society unwilling to acknowledge the conditions that necessitate them. The eventual courtroom drama crystallizes these tensions, bringing into stark relief the dissonance between law and lived reality, between public condemnation and private desperation.
Yet what lingers most is the novel’s profound empathy—not only for the women seeking care, but for those who provide it. Caregivers here are neither saints nor villains; they are individuals navigating an impossible terrain, attempting, however imperfectly, to alleviate suffering. Skenandore invites the reader to consider the emotional toll of such work: the accumulation of stories, the weight of responsibility, the knowledge that compassion itself can be criminalized.
The historical setting inevitably resonates with contemporary debates, though the novel refrains from overt didacticism. Instead, it offers a more enduring insight: that the intersection of medicine, morality, and law has long been fraught, and that those who step into its most contested spaces do so at significant personal risk. The “high price” paid by Mimi and her colleagues is not merely legal or social, but existential—the cost of living with choices that defy easy categorization.
When No One Else Will ultimately succeeds not because it argues a position, but because it enlarges the reader’s capacity for understanding. By the time its true-story origins are revealed, one recognizes that the narrative has already accomplished something rare: it has made visible a hidden history of courage and care, and in doing so, it asks us to reconsider the boundaries of both.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC in return for an honest review
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
THIS WAS A REALLY TOUGH ONE TO READ…
Picture you’re living in Chicago in the late 1930’s. Your husband is on leave from being a famed baseball player… now with a broken leg, and most likely, a life changing event for his career. You are married with two young children. You WERE a nurse, before you were married with kids, but have not worked since. Now, your house is in trouble. Bills are not getting paid. Your husband seems to have given up hope. And you have many mouths to feed…
Her name is Mimi. She doesn’t know where else to turn, so starts looking for jobs in hospitals… but she hasn’t worked recently. It’s not going well.
Then she runs into an old friend who gives her a name. They’re looking for good nurses at a women’s clinic. Mimi kind of understands the meaning, but can she really do this? She IS religious. This goes against all her beliefs. But they are looking to take away everything she and her husband have built.
So she goes to meet with the people at the clinic… and decides to try it out. Short term. Then she’ll see.
It’s going well. She is making good money. BUT, at the same time it is scary.
But she’s also helping these women who have nowhere else to turn. And what they are doing is safe… as opposed to what they might do on their own…
And then the police come…. And everything changes. She cannot do this. She needs to leave…
This is NOT a story to read if you are looking for happy endings, butterflies, flowers and rainbows.
BUT, if you are interested in history, and life before Roe vs. Wade… as well as what is going on in real life right now, then please, give this book a chance! I have read this author before. And, this book is phenomenal!
I also just read that the author is a nurse! And that makes so much sense! (I am also a RN, so I can identify with many of the feelings in here… wanting to help these women, even though it may go against all that you are… but that primal need to care and help people.)
And I also realized at the end that this is actually based on a true story with a real life clinic, and many of the people featured in the book are real people! Sad and scary and heart-breaking… and yet, they were doing what they considered the right thing to do! And were penalized for it…
Again, difficult to get through at points, but what an eye-opening, phenomenal historical fiction story! Well done!
5 tear-stained, heart-breaking, breath-taking stars for me! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️. If this one does not gut punch you, I’m not sure what will.
#WhenNoOneElseWill by @AmandaSkenandore and narrated beautifully by @NicolePoole.
*** This has not been released yet! Please look 👀 for it on 5/26/26! ***
Thanks so much to #NetGalley and @HighBridgeAudio for an ALC of the audiobook in exchange for an honest review.
You can also find my reviews on: Goodreads,
Instagram: @BookReviews_with_emsr and/or
My Facebook Book Club: Book Reviews With Elaine
Thanks so much for reading! And if you ‘liked’ my review, please share with your friends, & click ‘LIKE’ below… And, let me know YOUR thoughts if you read it!!
And as always, thanks for reading along with me! 📚⭐️📖🩷
Picture you’re living in Chicago in the late 1930’s. Your husband is on leave from being a famed baseball player… now with a broken leg, and most likely, a life changing event for his career. You are married with two young children. You WERE a nurse, before you were married with kids, but have not worked since. Now, your house is in trouble. Bills are not getting paid. Your husband seems to have given up hope. And you have many mouths to feed…
Her name is Mimi. She doesn’t know where else to turn, so starts looking for jobs in hospitals… but she hasn’t worked recently. It’s not going well.
Then she runs into an old friend who gives her a name. They’re looking for good nurses at a women’s clinic. Mimi kind of understands the meaning, but can she really do this? She IS religious. This goes against all her beliefs. But they are looking to take away everything she and her husband have built.
So she goes to meet with the people at the clinic… and decides to try it out. Short term. Then she’ll see.
It’s going well. She is making good money. BUT, at the same time it is scary.
But she’s also helping these women who have nowhere else to turn. And what they are doing is safe… as opposed to what they might do on their own…
And then the police come…. And everything changes. She cannot do this. She needs to leave…
This is NOT a story to read if you are looking for happy endings, butterflies, flowers and rainbows.
BUT, if you are interested in history, and life before Roe vs. Wade… as well as what is going on in real life right now, then please, give this book a chance! I have read this author before. And, this book is phenomenal!
I also just read that the author is a nurse! And that makes so much sense! (I am also a RN, so I can identify with many of the feelings in here… wanting to help these women, even though it may go against all that you are… but that primal need to care and help people.)
And I also realized at the end that this is actually based on a true story with a real life clinic, and many of the people featured in the book are real people! Sad and scary and heart-breaking… and yet, they were doing what they considered the right thing to do! And were penalized for it…
Again, difficult to get through at points, but what an eye-opening, phenomenal historical fiction story! Well done!
5 tear-stained, heart-breaking, breath-taking stars for me! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️. If this one does not gut punch you, I’m not sure what will.
#WhenNoOneElseWill by @AmandaSkenandore and narrated beautifully by @NicolePoole.
*** This has not been released yet! Please look 👀 for it on 5/26/26! ***
Thanks so much to #NetGalley and @HighBridgeAudio for an ALC of the audiobook in exchange for an honest review.
You can also find my reviews on: Goodreads,
Instagram: @BookReviews_with_emsr and/or
My Facebook Book Club: Book Reviews With Elaine
Thanks so much for reading! And if you ‘liked’ my review, please share with your friends, & click ‘LIKE’ below… And, let me know YOUR thoughts if you read it!!
And as always, thanks for reading along with me! 📚⭐️📖🩷
June 16, 2026
It would seem that as long as there has been the ability for women to become pregnant, there has been the need for abortion. Which is to say that the trials and tribulations of abortion go far back into the reaches of time, transcending the modern arguments we find inciting civil war amongst friends and neighbors today.
At first glance, Amanda Skenandore’s new novel, When No One Else Will, may seem as if it was written for a different time and place, being set in 1930s Chicago, but the same issues that always crop up around abortion and a woman’s right to choose are starkly written here, just as divisive now as they were then nearly 100 years ago.
Skenandore introduces us to an unlikely character to be found working in a women’s clinic - Mimi Lukas, a privileged wife and mother who finds herself desperate for work after her pro baseballer of a husband injures himself and is put out of the game indefinitely. Trained as a nurse, Mimi takes on a job at the abortion clinic because it is either that or watch her family lose their home and possessions due to bills they can’t possibly pay without Mimi’s income.
Naturally work at the clinic is difficult and of a conflictive nature, but Mimi finds herself rubbing elbows with women from all walks of life, and provides each with the same care and comfort she herself would wish granted upon her should she find herself in an impossible situation.
But work at an abortion clinic also introduces Mimi to the underbelly of a world she wants nothing to do with. A world that involves bribes to keep the clinic open every time it is raided. A world in which Mimi may just end up in jail should her case fall into the wrong hands.
As Mimi fights to protect the clinic, the last shred of hope some women have, she must also consider the risk she takes in working at such an establishment with the lives of her children and husband hanging in the balance. In a world where a woman’s every choice is questioned, will Mimi choose her career or her family?
Skenandore has written a finely detailed, plot-driven novel about work inside an abortion clinic in the 1930s. This book is composed with care and compassion, and shows Mimi to be a woman sworn to duty whether that be by the side of her patients or in her own home as a wife and mother. This book is engrossing and quite shocking at times - and not because of what happens within the clinic’s walls (the details of the abortions are never discussed, making this a safe read for those who are sensitive to this subject), but rather due to the characters’ actions and motives.
I did find that When No One Else Will turned quite melodramatic by the end, but was surprised to find in the Author’s Note that much of this story is true. Color me shocked. The stakes (and corruption) certainly were high in the 1930s, and lawlessness ran rampant.
In all, those who enjoy historical fiction and generally find themselves swaying toward the pro-choice crowd will be the obvious readers for this book.
At first glance, Amanda Skenandore’s new novel, When No One Else Will, may seem as if it was written for a different time and place, being set in 1930s Chicago, but the same issues that always crop up around abortion and a woman’s right to choose are starkly written here, just as divisive now as they were then nearly 100 years ago.
Skenandore introduces us to an unlikely character to be found working in a women’s clinic - Mimi Lukas, a privileged wife and mother who finds herself desperate for work after her pro baseballer of a husband injures himself and is put out of the game indefinitely. Trained as a nurse, Mimi takes on a job at the abortion clinic because it is either that or watch her family lose their home and possessions due to bills they can’t possibly pay without Mimi’s income.
Naturally work at the clinic is difficult and of a conflictive nature, but Mimi finds herself rubbing elbows with women from all walks of life, and provides each with the same care and comfort she herself would wish granted upon her should she find herself in an impossible situation.
But work at an abortion clinic also introduces Mimi to the underbelly of a world she wants nothing to do with. A world that involves bribes to keep the clinic open every time it is raided. A world in which Mimi may just end up in jail should her case fall into the wrong hands.
As Mimi fights to protect the clinic, the last shred of hope some women have, she must also consider the risk she takes in working at such an establishment with the lives of her children and husband hanging in the balance. In a world where a woman’s every choice is questioned, will Mimi choose her career or her family?
Skenandore has written a finely detailed, plot-driven novel about work inside an abortion clinic in the 1930s. This book is composed with care and compassion, and shows Mimi to be a woman sworn to duty whether that be by the side of her patients or in her own home as a wife and mother. This book is engrossing and quite shocking at times - and not because of what happens within the clinic’s walls (the details of the abortions are never discussed, making this a safe read for those who are sensitive to this subject), but rather due to the characters’ actions and motives.
I did find that When No One Else Will turned quite melodramatic by the end, but was surprised to find in the Author’s Note that much of this story is true. Color me shocked. The stakes (and corruption) certainly were high in the 1930s, and lawlessness ran rampant.
In all, those who enjoy historical fiction and generally find themselves swaying toward the pro-choice crowd will be the obvious readers for this book.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
A phenomenal, suspense filled read that makes you question your morals. 🗝️
Amanda Skenandore is a new-to-me author, and this is only the beginning of my journey into her work; I loved her writing style in When No One Else Will. The pacing was great, the book was not too long, and I could have read another 100 pages. I wanted to know more about Mimi's life after the book ended, so of course I had to phone my friend Google! 🤳🏾
There were several shocking elements of suspense in this historical fiction. The twists and turns made it so hard to put this book down! The storyline was intriguing, reeling me in while shit just kept on happening! Mimi and ’nem had the 1930s and 1940s lit post-Prohibition! I spent over 50% of this book with my mouth open wondering, "What on earth could happen next?" And the author just kept on giving us the goods! ☕
The laugh-out-loud moments were endless, making this a much more comfortable read considering the seriousness of the topics involved. The comedy was spot on, and I hope all of it makes the final cut, but I MUST point out one specific crack that had me rolling: when the narrator was talking about the doctor's hairpiece slipping back a few inches at the beginning of this story, I freaking lost it! At that point, I knew I was about to be taken on a ride and I was here for it! 😂
As a woman, of course, I am hard down on "my body, my choice" and this book really made me think about the internal conflicts women struggle with when facing the decision to keep or not keep a baby. There are so many schools of thought around this topic and the author did a great job of putting us in the minds of a few different camps. I loved how this book made me question my morals, integrity, and ethics; if I would do what no one else will... When you read it, there will be many opportunities to ask yourself the same question and not just as it relates to a woman's body. Some healthy discourse will come from this story and I love it!
It is also important to note that the author stuck as close to the real people as possible, which makes the story that much more valuable; it's exactly why historical fiction is one of my favorite genres to consume.
The Aftermath 🌷
When I finished the last page, I needed some time to process this book in its entirety; I really had to let it marinate. The story was done incredibly well and the book was phenomenal, so it absolutely deserved the full 5 stars. I read for the physical aftermath, and I still feel all the feels from this one days later!
This book is for the reader who wants to immerse themselves in topics that are controversial, the feminist looking for another reason to champion their cause, and someone who loves their historical fiction packed with suspense. 👌🏾
Publication Date: May 26, 2026
Thank you to Kensington, Amanda Skenandore, and NetGalley for the e-ARC in exchange for my honest review.
Amanda Skenandore is a new-to-me author, and this is only the beginning of my journey into her work; I loved her writing style in When No One Else Will. The pacing was great, the book was not too long, and I could have read another 100 pages. I wanted to know more about Mimi's life after the book ended, so of course I had to phone my friend Google! 🤳🏾
There were several shocking elements of suspense in this historical fiction. The twists and turns made it so hard to put this book down! The storyline was intriguing, reeling me in while shit just kept on happening! Mimi and ’nem had the 1930s and 1940s lit post-Prohibition! I spent over 50% of this book with my mouth open wondering, "What on earth could happen next?" And the author just kept on giving us the goods! ☕
The laugh-out-loud moments were endless, making this a much more comfortable read considering the seriousness of the topics involved. The comedy was spot on, and I hope all of it makes the final cut, but I MUST point out one specific crack that had me rolling: when the narrator was talking about the doctor's hairpiece slipping back a few inches at the beginning of this story, I freaking lost it! At that point, I knew I was about to be taken on a ride and I was here for it! 😂
As a woman, of course, I am hard down on "my body, my choice" and this book really made me think about the internal conflicts women struggle with when facing the decision to keep or not keep a baby. There are so many schools of thought around this topic and the author did a great job of putting us in the minds of a few different camps. I loved how this book made me question my morals, integrity, and ethics; if I would do what no one else will... When you read it, there will be many opportunities to ask yourself the same question and not just as it relates to a woman's body. Some healthy discourse will come from this story and I love it!
It is also important to note that the author stuck as close to the real people as possible, which makes the story that much more valuable; it's exactly why historical fiction is one of my favorite genres to consume.
The Aftermath 🌷
When I finished the last page, I needed some time to process this book in its entirety; I really had to let it marinate. The story was done incredibly well and the book was phenomenal, so it absolutely deserved the full 5 stars. I read for the physical aftermath, and I still feel all the feels from this one days later!
This book is for the reader who wants to immerse themselves in topics that are controversial, the feminist looking for another reason to champion their cause, and someone who loves their historical fiction packed with suspense. 👌🏾
Publication Date: May 26, 2026
Thank you to Kensington, Amanda Skenandore, and NetGalley for the e-ARC in exchange for my honest review.
June 18, 2026
📚✨ When No One Else Will by Amanda Skenandore
Thank you to Kensington for the gifted copy! 💛
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 4 stars
This was one of those historical fiction novels that feels especially relevant, even though it's set nearly a century ago.
Set in Chicago in 1939, When No One Else Will follows Mimi Lukas, a former nurse struggling to support her family as her husband's baseball dreams fade and money grows scarce. Desperate for work, she accepts a position at a women's clinic and quickly discovers that nothing about the women who seek help there matches the assumptions she's been taught her entire life.
What I appreciated most about this book was the compassion at its center. Amanda Skenandore doesn't reduce the women in this story to political talking points or simple moral lessons. Instead, she presents them as complex human beings facing difficult circumstances, impossible choices, and a society that often leaves them with very few options.
Mimi's journey is really the heart of the novel. Watching her wrestle with her faith, her upbringing, and what she's witnessing firsthand created some of the book's strongest moments. Her internal conflict felt authentic, and I enjoyed seeing her perspective slowly evolve as she gained a deeper understanding of the women around her.
The historical details were fascinating, especially the glimpse into an era when women had so little control over their own futures. The clinic staff, the patients, and even the legal system all helped paint a vivid picture of the challenges women faced during that time.
My biggest issue was the pacing. The story occasionally felt repetitive, and there were sections that dragged a bit. I also would have liked to see Mimi develop a stronger sense of personal conviction earlier in the story, as her initial motivation often felt more financial than ideological.
✨ What I loved:
💛 Strong historical setting
💛 Thoughtful exploration of women's rights and healthcare
💛 Complex moral questions
💛 Compassionate portrayal of the clinic staff and patients
💛 Mimi's personal growth
✨ What didn't work as well for me:
⚠️ Slower pacing in places
⚠️ Some repetitive sections
⚠️ Mimi's motivations took a while to fully develop
Overall, When No One Else Will is a compelling and emotionally resonant historical novel about women helping women during a time when doing so came with enormous risks. It's not a fast-paced read, but it raises important questions about compassion, autonomy, and what happens when the law and humanity don't always align.
A thoughtful, timely story that left me with plenty to think about. 💙📖
Thank you to Kensington for the gifted copy! 💛
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 4 stars
This was one of those historical fiction novels that feels especially relevant, even though it's set nearly a century ago.
Set in Chicago in 1939, When No One Else Will follows Mimi Lukas, a former nurse struggling to support her family as her husband's baseball dreams fade and money grows scarce. Desperate for work, she accepts a position at a women's clinic and quickly discovers that nothing about the women who seek help there matches the assumptions she's been taught her entire life.
What I appreciated most about this book was the compassion at its center. Amanda Skenandore doesn't reduce the women in this story to political talking points or simple moral lessons. Instead, she presents them as complex human beings facing difficult circumstances, impossible choices, and a society that often leaves them with very few options.
Mimi's journey is really the heart of the novel. Watching her wrestle with her faith, her upbringing, and what she's witnessing firsthand created some of the book's strongest moments. Her internal conflict felt authentic, and I enjoyed seeing her perspective slowly evolve as she gained a deeper understanding of the women around her.
The historical details were fascinating, especially the glimpse into an era when women had so little control over their own futures. The clinic staff, the patients, and even the legal system all helped paint a vivid picture of the challenges women faced during that time.
My biggest issue was the pacing. The story occasionally felt repetitive, and there were sections that dragged a bit. I also would have liked to see Mimi develop a stronger sense of personal conviction earlier in the story, as her initial motivation often felt more financial than ideological.
✨ What I loved:
💛 Strong historical setting
💛 Thoughtful exploration of women's rights and healthcare
💛 Complex moral questions
💛 Compassionate portrayal of the clinic staff and patients
💛 Mimi's personal growth
✨ What didn't work as well for me:
⚠️ Slower pacing in places
⚠️ Some repetitive sections
⚠️ Mimi's motivations took a while to fully develop
Overall, When No One Else Will is a compelling and emotionally resonant historical novel about women helping women during a time when doing so came with enormous risks. It's not a fast-paced read, but it raises important questions about compassion, autonomy, and what happens when the law and humanity don't always align.
A thoughtful, timely story that left me with plenty to think about. 💙📖
May 30, 2026
📖 What if the most controversial job in Chicago was also one of the most necessary?
When No One Else Will by Amanda Skenandore shines a light on a fascinating and often-overlooked chapter of American history.
Set in Depression-era Chicago, the story follows Mimi, a former nurse whose life has become increasingly difficult after her husband’s baseball career is cut short by an injury. With two children to support and bills piling up, she desperately needs work. Through a connection, she lands a nursing job at a clinic—only to discover that the clinic provides abortions.
One of the things that surprised me most about this novel was how different the clinic was from what I expected. Rather than a stereotypical back-alley operation, it was portrayed as a professional medical practice staffed by trained medical personnel. Even more fascinating, the clinic and the legal case surrounding it were inspired by real historical events.
Amanda Skenandore does what my favorite historical fiction authors do best: she uncovers a forgotten corner of history and makes it feel immediate and human. Many of the women who came to the clinic were living in poverty or facing incredibly difficult circumstances, and their stories added emotional depth and nuance to the novel. Some of those storylines were heartbreaking. 💔
I also appreciated how authentically the book felt rooted in its time period. It never felt like a modern story wearing a 1930s costume. Mimi’s internal thoughts, her views on marriage and motherhood, and even the way her husband’s depression affected their relationship all felt appropriate to the era. The writing almost reads as though it could have been written during the 1930s itself.
Historically, I found it especially interesting that the novel explores a time when abortion was illegal in many circumstances but had not yet become the politically charged issue it is today. The book approaches the subject through the lens of the people living through that moment in history, which made for a thought-provoking reading experience.
While the pacing dragged a bit in places, I found Mimi to be a likable protagonist and appreciated how immersive the story was overall. This is the kind of historical fiction that broadens your understanding of the past and encourages empathy for people facing impossible choices.
⭐️ 3.5/5 stars
If you enjoy historical fiction that uncovers lesser-known stories, especially those centered on women’s history, this one is worth picking up.
When No One Else Will by Amanda Skenandore shines a light on a fascinating and often-overlooked chapter of American history.
Set in Depression-era Chicago, the story follows Mimi, a former nurse whose life has become increasingly difficult after her husband’s baseball career is cut short by an injury. With two children to support and bills piling up, she desperately needs work. Through a connection, she lands a nursing job at a clinic—only to discover that the clinic provides abortions.
One of the things that surprised me most about this novel was how different the clinic was from what I expected. Rather than a stereotypical back-alley operation, it was portrayed as a professional medical practice staffed by trained medical personnel. Even more fascinating, the clinic and the legal case surrounding it were inspired by real historical events.
Amanda Skenandore does what my favorite historical fiction authors do best: she uncovers a forgotten corner of history and makes it feel immediate and human. Many of the women who came to the clinic were living in poverty or facing incredibly difficult circumstances, and their stories added emotional depth and nuance to the novel. Some of those storylines were heartbreaking. 💔
I also appreciated how authentically the book felt rooted in its time period. It never felt like a modern story wearing a 1930s costume. Mimi’s internal thoughts, her views on marriage and motherhood, and even the way her husband’s depression affected their relationship all felt appropriate to the era. The writing almost reads as though it could have been written during the 1930s itself.
Historically, I found it especially interesting that the novel explores a time when abortion was illegal in many circumstances but had not yet become the politically charged issue it is today. The book approaches the subject through the lens of the people living through that moment in history, which made for a thought-provoking reading experience.
While the pacing dragged a bit in places, I found Mimi to be a likable protagonist and appreciated how immersive the story was overall. This is the kind of historical fiction that broadens your understanding of the past and encourages empathy for people facing impossible choices.
⭐️ 3.5/5 stars
If you enjoy historical fiction that uncovers lesser-known stories, especially those centered on women’s history, this one is worth picking up.
Review of advance copy
This well written and well researched book is about an illegal abortion clinic in Chicago in the 1940s. It’s based on a real clinic of the time and most of the characters are based on real people. The book is thought provoking and even though it’s still a controversial subject, the author does a fantastic job of presenting the truth on both sides of the issue.
Mimi was trained as a nurse and is now the stay-at-home mom of two young children living with her husband and his mother in Chicago. Her husband had been a star baseball player but an injury ended his career. He keeps hoping for a comeback and refuses to look for any other type of work. She decides that she’ll have to go to work and even though she has training, hospitals are reluctant to hire married women because, of course, everyone at this time felt that women should stay at home with their families. After no luck finding a job, a friend tells her about a clinic that is hiring. When she finds out that the clinic performs illegal abortions, she doesn’t want to take the job because it goes against her religious beliefs. However, she soon realizes that she needs the job to keep her family from losing their home. As she becomes more involved and gets to know the women who are having abortions, she becomes much more understanding of their plight and their needs to end their pregnancies. As the police begin to crack down on illegal clinics, Mimi has to decide if it’s worth risking her family to keep her job and how far she’s willing to go to help women who are desperate for the clinic’s services.
This is a character driven book and it was interesting to see the way that Mimi changed throughout the book – from a stay-at-home mom to a woman willing to risk her freedom to help other women. From a woman who felt that she had no choices to a woman who realized that she had the freedom to help other women and that she was stronger than believed herself to be.
The author did an excellent job at presenting both sides of the controversial subject of abortion without coming down strong on one side of the other. This book is emotional, powerful and an honest look at an ethical dilemma that still faces many women today. It leaves the reader with a lot to think about on both sides of the abortion issue.
Mimi was trained as a nurse and is now the stay-at-home mom of two young children living with her husband and his mother in Chicago. Her husband had been a star baseball player but an injury ended his career. He keeps hoping for a comeback and refuses to look for any other type of work. She decides that she’ll have to go to work and even though she has training, hospitals are reluctant to hire married women because, of course, everyone at this time felt that women should stay at home with their families. After no luck finding a job, a friend tells her about a clinic that is hiring. When she finds out that the clinic performs illegal abortions, she doesn’t want to take the job because it goes against her religious beliefs. However, she soon realizes that she needs the job to keep her family from losing their home. As she becomes more involved and gets to know the women who are having abortions, she becomes much more understanding of their plight and their needs to end their pregnancies. As the police begin to crack down on illegal clinics, Mimi has to decide if it’s worth risking her family to keep her job and how far she’s willing to go to help women who are desperate for the clinic’s services.
This is a character driven book and it was interesting to see the way that Mimi changed throughout the book – from a stay-at-home mom to a woman willing to risk her freedom to help other women. From a woman who felt that she had no choices to a woman who realized that she had the freedom to help other women and that she was stronger than believed herself to be.
The author did an excellent job at presenting both sides of the controversial subject of abortion without coming down strong on one side of the other. This book is emotional, powerful and an honest look at an ethical dilemma that still faces many women today. It leaves the reader with a lot to think about on both sides of the abortion issue.
May 29, 2026
Fair warning: this novel deals explicitly with abortion rights, so keep that in mind before picking it up.
Amanda Skenandore hit a homer (pun intended) with this one. When No One Else Will tells the story of Mimi Lukas, a former nurse whose baseball-playing husband suffers a career-ending injury. To make matters worse, they are still struggling through the aftermath of the Great Depression, and money is tight.
As her husband Stan spirals while trying to come to terms with his new reality, Mimi does what she can with their dwindling savings. When their refrigerator is repossessed, she decides to find work—just until Stan gets back on his feet and figures out what comes next.
She lands a job at a hospital working the night shift, but it quickly becomes clear that Mimi is out of practice with her nursing skills. Struggling to balance the demands of work with life at home and caring for her children, she eventually loses the position. An old friend then tells her about a local clinic that is hiring. When Mimi arrives, she is shocked to learn the clinic performs illegal abortions. Though conflicted, her financial situation is dire, and with Stan contributing little, she reluctantly accepts the generous paycheck.
Over time, Mimi’s initial judgment begins to fade as she encounters women whose circumstances leave them desperate for help—women facing poverty, abusive husbands, rape, and impossible choices. What unsettles Mimi most, however, are the underhanded methods the office manager, Ada, uses to keep the clinic hidden from authorities. But life throws curveballs, and eventually Mimi must confront both her family and herself about the work she is doing.
Skenandore writes characters exceptionally well. Some you admire, some you want to shake sense into, but all of them feel layered and real. This cautionary tale is not a new one, and it powerfully reiterates that regardless of laws or bans, people will do what they must to survive and move forward. Mimi’s experience illustrates in very clear terms what happens when women lose the right to dictate their own medical decisions.
Thank you to NetGalley, Kensingston Publishing, and author Amanda Skenandore for the advanced copy of the book. When No One Else Will is out now. All opinions are my own.
http://www.instagram.com/passionforprose
Amanda Skenandore hit a homer (pun intended) with this one. When No One Else Will tells the story of Mimi Lukas, a former nurse whose baseball-playing husband suffers a career-ending injury. To make matters worse, they are still struggling through the aftermath of the Great Depression, and money is tight.
As her husband Stan spirals while trying to come to terms with his new reality, Mimi does what she can with their dwindling savings. When their refrigerator is repossessed, she decides to find work—just until Stan gets back on his feet and figures out what comes next.
She lands a job at a hospital working the night shift, but it quickly becomes clear that Mimi is out of practice with her nursing skills. Struggling to balance the demands of work with life at home and caring for her children, she eventually loses the position. An old friend then tells her about a local clinic that is hiring. When Mimi arrives, she is shocked to learn the clinic performs illegal abortions. Though conflicted, her financial situation is dire, and with Stan contributing little, she reluctantly accepts the generous paycheck.
Over time, Mimi’s initial judgment begins to fade as she encounters women whose circumstances leave them desperate for help—women facing poverty, abusive husbands, rape, and impossible choices. What unsettles Mimi most, however, are the underhanded methods the office manager, Ada, uses to keep the clinic hidden from authorities. But life throws curveballs, and eventually Mimi must confront both her family and herself about the work she is doing.
Skenandore writes characters exceptionally well. Some you admire, some you want to shake sense into, but all of them feel layered and real. This cautionary tale is not a new one, and it powerfully reiterates that regardless of laws or bans, people will do what they must to survive and move forward. Mimi’s experience illustrates in very clear terms what happens when women lose the right to dictate their own medical decisions.
Thank you to NetGalley, Kensingston Publishing, and author Amanda Skenandore for the advanced copy of the book. When No One Else Will is out now. All opinions are my own.
http://www.instagram.com/passionforprose
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
4.5/5 stars
Thanks to Kensington Publishing for the ARC of When No One Else Will by Amanda Skenandore.
Thanks to NetGalley and Highbridge Audio for the ALC of When No One Else Will by Amanda Skenandore, narrated by Nicole Poole.
I read the description of this book and knew that I needed to read this story. In the times post the overturning of Roe, and the current pending Supreme Court decision regarding the ordering and mailing of abortion medication, this book feels timely to what life used to be like and may likely end up looking like again. I enjoy reading historical fiction, but only when the topic at the heart of the story is interesting to me, which this story was.
The story follows Mimi as she is facing extreme financial distress when her baseball star husband loses his job, and she re-enters the workforce in order to keep her family from losing their home. Her husband is refusing to admit he is struggling with his mental health and is refusing to accept that he is no longer a baseball star or the family’s breadwinner. Mimi ends up getting a job at a Women’s Clinic, and it not only opens her eyes to how incredibly wrong her expectations were, how inaccurate her thoughts were about the type of people that would frequent the clinic, and so much more.
I felt the story was paced well, incredibly well-written, and the characters were well-developed. I found myself almost instantly invested in the characters, especially Mimi, as she struggles to deal with her mean and judgmental mother-in-law, her judgmental church, and her aggravating husband. I would highly recommend this book, and I look forward to checking out more from this author.
The audiobook was beautifully narrated by Nicole Poole. The production quality was excellent, and the narrator’s ability to bring the characters off the page and into real life added to my enjoyment of the story. The narrator’s pacing and tone were befitting of the story, and Nicole Poole’s ability to express emotion with her voice was amazing. The ability to provide differing voices to the many characters portrayed in this book was impressive as well. I would highly recommend this audiobook and narrator.
Thanks to Kensington Publishing for the ARC of When No One Else Will by Amanda Skenandore.
Thanks to NetGalley and Highbridge Audio for the ALC of When No One Else Will by Amanda Skenandore, narrated by Nicole Poole.
I read the description of this book and knew that I needed to read this story. In the times post the overturning of Roe, and the current pending Supreme Court decision regarding the ordering and mailing of abortion medication, this book feels timely to what life used to be like and may likely end up looking like again. I enjoy reading historical fiction, but only when the topic at the heart of the story is interesting to me, which this story was.
The story follows Mimi as she is facing extreme financial distress when her baseball star husband loses his job, and she re-enters the workforce in order to keep her family from losing their home. Her husband is refusing to admit he is struggling with his mental health and is refusing to accept that he is no longer a baseball star or the family’s breadwinner. Mimi ends up getting a job at a Women’s Clinic, and it not only opens her eyes to how incredibly wrong her expectations were, how inaccurate her thoughts were about the type of people that would frequent the clinic, and so much more.
I felt the story was paced well, incredibly well-written, and the characters were well-developed. I found myself almost instantly invested in the characters, especially Mimi, as she struggles to deal with her mean and judgmental mother-in-law, her judgmental church, and her aggravating husband. I would highly recommend this book, and I look forward to checking out more from this author.
The audiobook was beautifully narrated by Nicole Poole. The production quality was excellent, and the narrator’s ability to bring the characters off the page and into real life added to my enjoyment of the story. The narrator’s pacing and tone were befitting of the story, and Nicole Poole’s ability to express emotion with her voice was amazing. The ability to provide differing voices to the many characters portrayed in this book was impressive as well. I would highly recommend this audiobook and narrator.
June 21, 2026
I've read quite a few historical fiction books that deal with women's reproductive issues, but they almost always focus on young, unmarried pregnant teens. This is the first historical fiction novel I've read that's centered on abortion in 1939, and I found it fascinating.
I actually went into this one pretty blind. I knew it involved a nurse working in an abortion clinic, but when I realized it was set in 1939, I remember thinking, "Well, that part has to be fiction." I was honestly surprised when I read the author's note and learned it was inspired by real events. I had no idea women were working in clinics like this back then, so that alone made the book even more interesting to me.
One thing I really liked was that it stayed in one timeline. I enjoy dual timelines too, but it was nice to settle into one story and really stay with these characters from beginning to end. It made the book really easy to follow.
I listened to the audiobook, and Nicole Poole was fantastic. She completely sold me on Mimi, but what really stood out were her male voices. More than once I caught myself forgetting it was just one narrator. I'll definitely be looking to see what else she's narrated because she was that good.
I also really admired Mimi. She was strong and determined, and she stepped up when her family needed her most. It also struck me how many of the things she struggled with in 1939 are still things working wives and mothers are trying to balance today. And of course, the conversations around reproductive rights are still very much with us, which made the story feel surprisingly relevant.
I really appreciated was that the story never felt preachy. Even though you can probably tell where the author stands, I never felt like she was talking at the reader. She simply let these characters tell their stories, treated every one of them with compassion instead of judgment, and still managed to include a couple of twists I genuinely didn't see coming.
Overall, this was a really interesting piece of historical fiction that taught me something I didn't know while telling a story I genuinely cared about. I ended up giving it 4½ stars.
I actually went into this one pretty blind. I knew it involved a nurse working in an abortion clinic, but when I realized it was set in 1939, I remember thinking, "Well, that part has to be fiction." I was honestly surprised when I read the author's note and learned it was inspired by real events. I had no idea women were working in clinics like this back then, so that alone made the book even more interesting to me.
One thing I really liked was that it stayed in one timeline. I enjoy dual timelines too, but it was nice to settle into one story and really stay with these characters from beginning to end. It made the book really easy to follow.
I listened to the audiobook, and Nicole Poole was fantastic. She completely sold me on Mimi, but what really stood out were her male voices. More than once I caught myself forgetting it was just one narrator. I'll definitely be looking to see what else she's narrated because she was that good.
I also really admired Mimi. She was strong and determined, and she stepped up when her family needed her most. It also struck me how many of the things she struggled with in 1939 are still things working wives and mothers are trying to balance today. And of course, the conversations around reproductive rights are still very much with us, which made the story feel surprisingly relevant.
I really appreciated was that the story never felt preachy. Even though you can probably tell where the author stands, I never felt like she was talking at the reader. She simply let these characters tell their stories, treated every one of them with compassion instead of judgment, and still managed to include a couple of twists I genuinely didn't see coming.
Overall, this was a really interesting piece of historical fiction that taught me something I didn't know while telling a story I genuinely cared about. I ended up giving it 4½ stars.
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