Her Body, Our Laws: On the Front Lines of the Abortion War, from El Salvador to Oklahoma

by Michelle Oberman

With stories from the front lines, a legal scholar journeys through distinct legal climates to understand precisely why and how the war over abortion is being fought.

Drawing on her years of research in El Salvador--one of the few countries to ban abortion without exception--legal scholar Michelle Oberman explores what happens when abortion is a crime. Oberman reveals the practical challenges raised by a thriving black market in abortion drugs, as well as the legal challenges to law enforcement. She describes a system in which doctors and lawyers collaborate in order to identify and prosecute those suspected of abortion-related crimes, and the troubling results of such collaboration: mistaken diagnoses, selective enforcement, and wrongful convictions.

Equipped with this understanding, Oberman turns her attention to the United States, where the battle over abortion is fought almost exclusively in legislatures and courtrooms. Beginning in Oklahoma, one of the most pro-life states, and through interviews with current and former legislators and activists, she shows how Americans voice their moral opposition to abortion by supporting laws that would restrict it. In this America, the law is more a symbol than a plan.

Oberman challenges this vision of the law by considering the practical impact of legislation and policies governing both motherhood and abortion. Using stories gathered from crisis pregnancy centers and abortion clinics, she unmasks the ways in which the law already shapes women's responses to unplanned pregnancy, generating incentives or penalties, nudging pregnant women in one direction or another.

In an era in which every election cycle features a pitched battle over abortion's legality, Oberman uses her research to expose the limited ways in which making abortion a crime matters. Her insight into the practical consequences that will ensue if states are permitted to criminalize abortion calls attention to the naive and misguided nature of contemporary struggles over abortion's legality.

A fresh look at the battle over abortion law, Her Body, Our Laws is an invitation to those on all sides of the issue to move beyond the incomplete discourse about legality by understanding how the law actually matters.

Genres: Nonfiction, Feminism, Politics, Womens, Law, Legal, Social Justice

274 pages, Hardcover

First published January 16, 2018

Reviews

[Thomas · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interesting and well-researched book about abortion, how laws affect or do not affect women’s capacity to access abortions, and how people with various backgrounds use the law as an outlet to channel their personal convictions about abortion. Michelle Oberman travels both outside (e.g., El Salvador) and inside (e.g., Oklahoma) the United States to attain a deeper understanding of how the legal system intersects with abortion. She references a few detailed stories of women who have accessed abortion only to face prosecution. I most appreciated how Oberman makes the point that, regardless of legality, restricting abortion will predominantly affect poor women’s access to abortion, whereas wealthy and wealthier women will still have the resources to secure abortions.

I’m excited to discuss this with one of my feminist book clubs because I had some mixed feelings about Oberman’s persistent message of working across the political aisle on the issue of abortion. On one hand I see and honor her choice to try to get pro-choice and pro-life to work with one another. Case in point, she refuses to call “pro-life” anything other than “pro-life” for the sake of respecting what they want to be called, even though I lean toward “anti-abortion” or “anti-choice”. Despite her call for unity or just conversation between the two camps though, I felt unsure about how collaboration or listening between these groups would actually take place or lead to tangible benefit? She mentions several times that those in the pro-choice and pro-life camps should work together or just hear each other out, but I still feel unclear about how that process would actually happen and what the desired outcomes are, given that even if they may share some values deep down, they want very different things.

Still, a good book I’d recommend to those interested in the topic of law and/or abortion. Looking forward to reading what others think of it, especially anyone who has the capacity to give birth or seek an abortion.

[Lyndsey · Rating 5 out of 5]

"Our mutual contempt leaves us locked in debate over the question of whether abortion should be legal. And as we've seen, that question is not serving us well. It's distracting us from the better question of how we think things will change if abortion is illegal."

Excellent and thoroughly notated history of abortion laws and what abortion bans actually accomplish. TLDR: abortion rates are not reduced and poor women unduly bear the consequences of these bans.

Oberman is upfront about her pro-choice stance but is kind and authentic in her inclusion of pro-life narratives and views. I say this as someone who used to be passionately "pro-life." I wish I could put a copy of this in everyone's hands as it seems this issue will be front and center in coming elections.

[Erica · Rating 3 out of 5]

I read this in the summer of 2020 and gave it 3 stars.
If I were to read this now, I would give it 2 stars because I don't feel this really did much to ready the public for what happened when Roe was repealed.

The following are my notes from when I read this and my current thoughts on said notes:

This book is an examination of who is affected, and how, by abortion laws. Kind of.
In an effort to examine both sides of the abortion law debate, the author interviewed people affected by restrictive abortion laws in El Salvador and the lawmakers who uphold those laws as well as people who trying to make more anti-abortion laws in Oklahoma.

I’m not quite sure for whom this was written.
It's not really an examination of the laws or how they’re enforced, as the title suggests it may be. Rather, it’s a look at the people who put the laws in place and why they want them there as well as people who are impacted by abortion laws. There’s a quick look at abortion vs birth economics but that's mostly in the after-notes of interviews.

There wasn’t much philosophy, no mention of believing a person with a uterus is a person vs believing a person with a uterus has one main purpose in life and can only define themselves after that main purpose is acknowledged. There's not as much coverage of who gets abortions, just who is most impacted by the laws.

I did appreciate the examination of abortion clinics and church-based "family planning" centers. I would have liked some discussion on how both can be relevant and helpful because, in a perfect world, they would complement each other wonderfully. In this world, they're diametrically opposed.

Perhaps the point is to show that El Salvador has restrictive laws and people there suffer as a result so if Oklahoma and the rest of the US enact similar laws, there could be a similar impact?

The hopeful "abortion won't be restricted because then what will Republicans put on their tickets to get votes?" messaging from some of the political theorists has, sadly, been proven untrue.

What am I supposed to do with that information? I already understand how detrimental restricting access to safe abortion will be to all of the US. I already know it's not a religious argument, the Christian wrapping paper is just to get more people on board with taking away human rights. I think a lot of people who might read this book already understand all that.
So is this for readers who are unaware of the abortion war or who are on the fence with their opinions of abortion?
I can't tell.

I think the piece I appreciated most was the conclusion:
We pay a moral price for dehumanizing other human beings. Contempt and distrust corrode our ability to connect. They prevent us from recognizing ourselves in one another. They keep us apart.
We pay a practical price, too. Our mutual contempt leaves us locked in debate over the question of whether abortion should be legal. And as we’ve seen, that question is not serving us well. It’s distracting us from the better question of how we think things will change if abortion is illegal.(p 140)

And I agree when the author says abortion will never go away, it will just become unsafe and that if you really want to stop people from having abortions, the best way to lower abortion rates is to deal with what causes women to want to abort in the first place. (p 141)

Actually, I think if you really want to lower abortion rates, then maybe mandate vasectomies? If uteruses can be controlled, so can penises, right?

I don't know to whom I would recommend this because, again, I don't know at what audience this is aimed.

[Krissy · Rating 4 out of 5]

The last section of this book discusses what it would look like if Roe was taken away. How do you enforce an abortion ban? Who is charged as a criminal? Since Roe is based a woman's right to privacy, does that mean if it is overturned there would be a narrowing of right to privacy in healthcare for women? If abortion is illegal that means in order to report incidences of suspected abortion, doctors would need to violate patient privacy and report to law enforcement...or at least that's how it is done in El Salvador if you go to a public hospital. This book through interviews with people who place themselves in the pro-life and pro-choice categories show a common thread that it is irrelevant whether abortion is legal or not. In countries with total abortion bans abortion is still present. It just becomes less safe, more expensive, and harder to achieve for poor women.

I like thoughtful books like this. Oberman acknowledges she is pro-choice but then writes an academic book with interviews from both sides of the debate, asking them questions about their beliefs, the law, and how they see our world looking with Roe gone. It resonates with me when Oberman discussed how abortion isn't really talked about in depth. It's talked about in slogans. "A woman's right to choose" "I survived Roe" "Pro-choice, that's a lie, babies don't choose to die." That last slogan isn't in the book, but is burned in my brain from my Catholic class years. I remember being 15ish and going to a weekend get away for church which was a pro-life gathering where they had us stand in a circle and confront adults playing the role of a pro-choice person. Pretty sure my dad wouldn't have allowed me to go had he realized the garbage they were brainwashing us with. I left that camp feeling like babies were being butchered and that abortion was a traumatic trap to trick women. They even had a speaker up there who had an abortion and came with business cards...she cried and described heart wrenching agony. As a slightly cynical 28 year old I wonder how much of that was real and how much of that was paid tears for the impressionable children in front of her. At 15 I did not have worldly experience. At 15 I was a privileged white middle class child who didn't understand there are complexities of life. Thankfully my love for reading (particularly memoirs, history books, and anthropology) helped me find a way away from that narrow minded existence.

It was disturbing to me that while interviewing a representative Oberman was read an email written by Tony Lauinger who is a big time pro-life lobbyist in Oklahoma. Oberman had reached out for an interview with him which he ignored. He had then warned the representatives she contacted that she is pro-abortion and that there was no need to allow her to collect information behind enemy lines. Three representatives abruptly cancelled on her. This man is a lobbyist and it makes me uncomfortable to think that lobbyists hold such hard and fast power over the people in our government. That keeps it elitist.

Library book. I'll buy a copy for my shelves. Also, everyone should read this. It's good and thoughtful. && I want to read Oberman's other works. She's written a book on Mother's Who Kill after interviewing 40+ incarcerated women in Ohio for that crime.

[Allison White Bailey · Rating 5 out of 5]

If the subject interests you at all, you’ll like this book. Easy to read with very few instances of statements being over my head, but at the same time makes you think outside of your box. For me personally, it allowed me to hear more eloquent descriptions of how abortion exists in our society both morally and legally and their intersection. Considering today’s social and political climate, it was a good read to add to the table conversations surrounding abortion. Also I loved that the focus was not on the South, as most restrictive conversations are. There was a great use of all available resources and opposing views and different approaches to abortion as well, so it did not read like a “pro-life” or “pro-choice” novel. The bottom line for me are two quotes from this that have resonated with me both personally and professionally: ““...the best way to lower abortion rates is to deal with what causes women to want to abort in the first place.”” And “”Working here, I’ve learned that it’s not their bad choices that have landed the women at our door, but rather God’s grace that kept me from being in their situations.””

[Erin · Rating 4 out of 5]

I think Oberman is a little generous in her portrayal of what “pro-life” people want and she could have done a better job of addressing race (e.g. do CPC leaders view Black people as a victim of a system that encourages abortion or just white women? I think we all know the answer lmao) With that being said, this book left me thinking in both legal and practical terms about what a post-roe US looks like.

[Bobbi Jacobs · Rating 4 out of 5]

Perfect little read to follow up the roe vs wade book I read right before. I love how the author tackled this book, she’s straight up about her own views on the abortion war but she gives both sides of the same coin in a way that is respectful to every party she interviewed. No matter what you think about ANY controversial topic out there - two things can be true at the same time and at the end of the day most people are good, most people want what they believe in their heart is the right thing, and their opinions are a product of their experiences and reality.

[Kaitlyn · Rating 3 out of 5]

Although this book was short, it was quite a dense read. It's not for everyone. If you're super passionate about this issue, I would recommend reading this, but if you're not, it's one that you can pass up.

I thought that some of Oberman's interviews were interesting and I did learn a few things that I found fascinating. I wish that she would have spent more time focusing on the abortion laws on El Salvador for I thought that there was a lot to unpack there that we weren't able to fully explore.

[Edward Champion · Rating 4 out of 5]

A vital read about women's rights that is alarmingly prescient (despite being written in 2018). Oberman examines El Salvador, where all forms of abortion are illegal, and offers a frightening glimpse of what could be in store for us here in the States if Roe v. Wade is overturned. I also read this book just as Oklahoma passed the most draconian abortion ban in the entire country and the information here is vital in showing us how Oklahoma went from a pro-choice state just after Roe to being the "biggest pro-life state in the nation" in the present day. I wished this book was longer. Oberman has keen research skills, but is often too autobiographical. But this is a solid book that anyone concerned about the future of women's rights should read today.

[Kathy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Among other things, "Her Body, Our Laws" raises some very important questions about what happens if the Supreme Court reversed Roe v Wade. Some people are under the impression that overturning Roe would effectively stop abortions from happening. In fact, the question of legality would return to the states, many of which still have laws which allow abortion under specific conditions. Abortion-minded women with means will continue to find a way to medically safe abortions. Abortion technology has changed significantly since before Roe v Wade, from mostly surgical to largely drug-induced, making it easy to abort very early on with privacy. The women who would be most impacted by an abortion ban would be those without means, those whose access to birth control and healthcare is limited -- poor women and adolescents.

Just a few of the questions raised: Who would become criminals - women? doctors? others? How would abortion crimes be detected? Be prosecuted? Would doctors be required to violate patient confidentiality and report suspected abortions? What burden of proof would be required? What sentencing would be imposed, and on who? Under what conditions would abortion be allowed - rape? incest? save mother's life? If saving the mother's life, would she and her doctor determine when to abort or would the state have control? The list of concerns and complications goes on, and would differ from state to state. The book's reporting of what happens in countries where abortion is illegal without exception, e.g. El Salvador and Chile, gives much to think about. Despite its illegality, abortions persist at near the same estimated rates as before where a ban was imposed.

Whether abortion is illegal or allowed, perhaps the more important questions to consider are the reasons women seek abortion at all -- rape, incest, abuse, reproductive ignorance, lack of access to reliable birth control, poverty, abandonment, illness, fetal abnormality, etc., - and what can be done to address the causes which lead up to them seeking to end an unwanted pregnancy, and under what conditions is it justified.

I recommend this book to anyone on either side of the debate, "pro-life" or "pro-choice", as a primer to start the important discussions which need to take place, and which need to start replacing the unproductive, histrionic exchanges on both sides with real dialog concerning this divisive issue.

[Brittany · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was quite a good and interesting read. What particularly stood out to me was the aggression/doggedness of pro-life politicians ("Abortion is always bad and I will do whatever I need to do to ensure women don't have them") vs. the more compassionate demeanours of pro-life organized activists ("We don't support abortion, but we will provide pay for a pregnant woman's healthcare, while also seeking to address the underlying reasons why women seek abortions in the first place"). Ultimately, it seems quite to clear to me that women are often treated as disposable under the (often religious) idea that carrying to term is the punishment one must endure for committing the grave sin of having sex. At the end of the day, I have far too much to say about abortion to put it all here, so I'll just say that I'd generally recommend this book to people interested in this subject matter.

"There are two young fish swimming along and they happen to meet an older fish swimming the other way, who nods at them and says, 'Morning, boys. How's the water?' And the two young fish swim on for a bit, and then eventually one of them looks over at the other and goes, 'What the hell is water?'" - David Foster Wallace

"Using the law to make moral declarations is not unusual. It's what legal theorists call the 'expressive function' of the law. We use the law to tell us something about ourselves - who we are and what we value. Think of laws against prostitution, flag-burning, or organ-selling. To the extent one supports these laws, it's often for reasons beyond or even aside from a belief that the law will prevent the crime from happening. Instead, we look to the law as a way of proclaiming moral boundaries. Supporters use the law to testify to a shared moral vision."

"There are no facts, only interpretations." - Friedrich Nietzsche

[Randi · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very well put together with well thought out points and essays. I wish I could put this in the hands of anti-choice women. It offers a very succinct and intelligent argument and explanation.

[Paula · Rating 4 out of 5]

Disclaimer-the author is pro-choice. Having said that she, I think, does a good job getting both sides of the issue.

The book focuses on countries that currently outlaw abortions, sometimes regardless of the situation (even incest or risk of life). Do the laws limit people from obtaining abortions? Who enforces the laws? Is there a line that is crossed to enforce the laws?

If Roe v Wade was overturned here in the USA-how would that effect us? In S. America, Oberman points out that in hospitals, there are doctors who will turn in a woman for having, or suspecting having, an abortion. You'll find this more in the hospitals that are public. Private paid, the women who are suspected of having abortions...their secrets are safe.

The question that is presented...if Roe is overturned, would privacy or patient confidentiality be thrown out? Does prosecuting those who have an abortion outweigh the patient confidentiality? And if so, who does or would that benefit? Will there be due process? We all see Trump saying basically, arrest now-ask questions later on many subjects-would this be one of them? And then I go back to asking---who is it going to benefit?

I know people who have had an abortion. It's not an easy decision on their part. There are many reasons why it wasn't prevented--sometimes it was an attempted prevention (failed birth control). Then there is a bigger question here as well, considering many religious sects still want to outlaw or make it difficult to obtain birth control--if that happens, where does all that fit in?

I realize that it's a touchy subject at hand. I personally am pro-choice for many reasons. For a country that doesn't want government in people's lives...they certainly attempt to do it here. Abortions, birth control access alike.

[Rachel Stienberg · Rating 4 out of 5]

Despite being a fairly short read, this book packs a punch. A great look into the division between the Pro Choice and the Pro Life movement, and also glimpses into the difficult relationship that the Pro Life and the Pro Birth movement also experiences.

This book is mostly designed for Pro Choices readers. The bias exists, but it is a difficult subject to remain neutral on. The writer examines real world cases where abortion was a major element, and finds a way to look at the whole picture. The case in El Salvador revealed the difficulties in accessing an abortion even when medically the baby would die upon birth and would only hinder the health of the pregnant woman, but also looks at the inequality between women living in that country. A richer woman can access abortion drugs or seek help from a private practise, in comparison to a low class woman unable to reach beyond basic public hospital aid.

The entire issue is fascinating, due to North America's obsession in mimicking El Salvador. It also alters how we view women who suffer and miscarriage, and when we are able to make them the guilty party for an unfortunate incident that was beyond their control.

A thoroughly great read, if you are like minded. That being said, she fairly examines a variety of Pro Life people and broadens to perspective on their side, which manages to break down the opposing side into intriguing elements.

[Jimmy]

https://www.guernicamag.com/consequen...

[Hillary · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was hesitant to pick up this book as I was afraid it would just “fire me up.” Not to say I didn’t become impassioned, but Oberman’s concise study was practical & unbiased; it exposed me to a different way of thinking about the struggle over abortion laws.

[Jamie · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 stars

[Michelle · Rating 4 out of 5]

While abortion is certainly a divisive issue, this book does an excellent job of getting away from the commonly heard rhetoric on both sides of the issue and instead focuses on a different question: What really happens when abortion is illegal? As a law professor, Michelle Oberman was interested in the potential effects of a legal ban on abortion. How would such a law be implemented? Who would it effect? Would the law achieve its intended outcomes? While Oberman makes it clear in the introduction that she is pro-choice, she does a good job of providing a very balanced and fair approach to the topic. The writing lends itself to this approach--it is very academic, research based, journalistic, and concise. I enjoyed this writing style, and I also enjoyed the stories of the individual women, activists, lawmakers, and doctors interviewed in the book. Like Oberman, I believe it is only by listening to stories from both sides of this issue that we can begin to understand what really needs to be done to make the lives of women--especially poor women--better. I found this book to be very interesting and thought provoking, and it is one I would recommend to anyone wanting a better understanding of the abortion war.

[Sara Cobb · Rating 3 out of 5]

The arguments within this book that are against making abortion illegal can be dismantled in the article found at the following website:

https://abort73.com/abortion/common_o...

The biggest argument in the book was that making abortion illegal won’t stop abortions from happening. Since the beginning of civilization laws have governed morality and it is a time tested fact that when you remove morality from the laws the downfall of civilization follows. Just think of the chaos that would ensue if we legalized everything our country (U.S.A) has made illegal. Research has proven that abortion significantly increased once it became legal and readily available, so why wouldn’t it significantly decrease once it is illegal and not readily available? The second part of this argument is criminalizing those who have illegal abortions. I agree that perhaps not enough consideration is given to this part of the topic and it gave me a lot to think about. I think it is safe to say that it will be dealt in a similar fashion (fees and/or jail time) as other illegal activities to deter people from these actions. Who is liable? The performing physician or other parties, where applicable, and the woman suspected should be culpable if there is evidence that an illegal abortion has taken place (punctured uterus, residue of mifepristone and/or misoprostol in/on the body- scientific studies are underway to create drug tests for these drugs). It isn’t likely that either a punctured uterus or a positive drug test would be present during a miscarriage. As far as the patient confidentiality breach argument is concerned, we already have law in place that overrides patient confidentiality when the patient or another life is threatened.

I gave this book three stars because it was short, concise and I appreciated the research methodology.

[Liz · Rating 4 out of 5]

Michelle Oberman’s intensive research resulted in a fair and even-handed books that looks at the real consequences of laws that make abortion illegal. Her case studies are extremes: El Salvador, where abortion is illegal without exception, and Oklahoma, the “reddest state is America,” where anti-abortion is the value that has united Republicans since 2004. Oberman uses compelling personal stories—of teenage mothers and pregnant women whose lives are threatened by the prospect of carrying a baby to term, of male politicians in the South wracked with guilt over contraception—to demonstrate the depth of feeling around the issue, as well as the real world consequences of opposition to abortion. What she discovers is that the very people most affected by abortion bans, ie. poor and uneducated women, are the women least likely to be able to influence lawmakers. And she makes a compelling case that the laws do not even result in fewer terminations. Mostly male office-holders formulate abortion restrictions out of deeply held beliefs or a desire to secure votes, and the women and their families who are most harmed are not the voters they are concerned with. The author makes a heartfelt case in the conclusion for seeing the humanity in one another, but as long as politicians are more concerned with fetuses than with women and their families, it is difficult to take their claims to humanity seriously.

[Bookewyfe · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book will enrage you. The first chapter is about Beatriz Garcia, who was a victim of the cruelty of El Salvador’s abortion ban. It also gives you a look at what having no access looks like in El Salvador for both wealthy and poor womxn. Also included are some of the most idiotic statements from ‘pro-life’ republicans in Oklahoma. Highly recommended.

[Rachel · Rating 2 out of 5]

The author’s research is interesting and admirable. I found that the book was poorly written and did not convey her research very well though.

[sarah♡ · Rating 5 out of 5]

Considering the current events happening in a few states around the US, I figured this was a fitting book to pick up. I'll preface by saying that if you at all care about this subject, please pick it up and give it a read. Whether you are pro choice or pro life, Oberman has you thinking outside of the box.
I am resolutely pro choice and the authors views reflect that. However, that did not interfere with her research or writing or portrayal of certain people and stories.
I believe that the ultimate focus should be on the root cause of WHY women get abortions and not the endless and reductive debate over the legalization. And this is one of the few books that recognizes that. I have fallen into the trap of pointless debates and arguing, everyone entrenched in their own beliefs. But what I'm really fighting for, is it really going to have the intended consequences I'm so afraid of? For example, if abortion were to become illegal here in America. More than half of the states would keep abortion legal, regardless of what the Supreme Court rules. She travels to El Salavador, a country where abortion is 100% illegal, and interviews doctors and women and gathers research and statistics on the number of abortions in relation to it's legal status. Did you know abortion rates there are higher than countries where it is legal?
One of my favorite eye-openers was learning about "expressive function" of the law. It's about how we use the law to tell others about ourselves and the values we stand for. It's a way for us to declare moral boundaries or to testify to a shared moral vision. But valuing a law for the statement it makes while ignoring the impact it has is the way of the fanatic. Laws have impacts and if it goes against exactly what you aim to promote, well then you would reconsider your support of the law, right? The ultimate test of the law lies in its consequences, not the symbolic statement it makes. It is foolish to assert that tr laws consequence is good just because the statement it makes is good.
Altogether, this was a book packed with information and has truly opened my eyes to the way I approach and consider this issue that has been so divisive between people all over the world. I believe this is important reading for everyone interested in the subject of abortion, because ultimately the goal is to reduce abortion rates and improve reproductive care and the way we support mothers.

[Olivia · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book does a great job at shining a bright light on who is most impacted by restrictive abortion laws: the poor, the rural, and women of color.

Oberman researched in El Salvador - a country with an abortion ban--without exception; but she also spends time in Oklahoma after they passed some of our country's most "pro-life" states as well as looking at U.S. cases against women for abortion related crimes.

The facts are maddening and the impact these laws have when enforced are very specifically targeted towards the most marginalized women.

She talks to both pro-life and pro-choice activists and lawmakers. With each side, she remains objective and open to listening and understanding. She closes her book urging for deep conversation and a meaningful discourse, which I fully support. it may not change anyone's opinion, but it can lead to a better understanding of one another. After all, none of us are two-dimensional cartoon villains.

I will say that the book tended to focus on cases where women were in the most desperate of situations, which I feel does a disservice to all women's right to privacy and bodily integrity. I suppose this is to highlight how restrictive laws particularly impact these groups. And for the most part, from what we see from the number of illegal abortions and the cases that are actually prosecuted for it, it seems like women of privilege mostly go without consequence. But our right to privacy and bodily autonomy are something most sacred, and I fear making arguments that solely center around exceptions such as rape or incest can have dangerous implications. To be fair-- Oberman is not just arguing for these exceptions, and she does bring up the right to privacy being key to Roe v. Wade. It's just when I hear defenses for abortion that only consider tragic and desperate scenarios as to why a women would chose to have an abortion, it undermines the decision of women who were not in those situations.

[Mama's Got a Plan]

El Salvador and Oklahoma may seem like very dissimilar jurisdictions under which to examine abortion laws and realities, but Oberman's message seems to be that the two locations are more alike than you might think. The clearest connection is the role of wealth in the ability to access abortion care and the consequences for taking matters into one's own hands. For the wealthy, the private clinic; for the poor, the public hospital with surveillance aplenty, and the criminalization of pregnancy.

Oberman excels at connecting with the diverse group of interviewees we meet in the book: doctors, legislators, public services and social justice advocates - and, of course, the women themselves. While any book about abortion in these times is bound to lower the spirits, the reader of Her Body, Our Laws can be reconciled by Oberman's clear-headed look at what really matters:

What would it look like to design a policy around the idea that no one should have to choose abortion because she is too poor to have a child? It would cost billions of dollars. Yet, we routinely spend such sums on the war over abortion's legality. Might it be worth it to try something different?

She ends by dedicating the book to two service organizations that hold opposing values about abortion, yet "both share core values that transcend our endless war over abortion. Both organizations understand how the deck is stacked against poor women and their children." Can this focus on shared values take us out of the abortion war? Think of what we might achieve if it could.

[Madeline Paige Fornes · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is really eye opening, no matter what side of the matter you fall on. It was very eye opening for me when it came to the difference between pro-life and anti-abortion. I always knew they weren't the same thing, but it gave me more context to the situation. The author is very up front about her views, but doesn't let it skew the point of her research. She is very open about how speaking to people with other views was eye opening for her.

The one thing that I really felt off about was the ending, but that's okay because this book isn't my research. This isn't the only battle that women face and that part is true, but to some women it is the hardest. It's not up to one woman to decide if this is or isn't the hardest battle that women face.

Overall, I would recommend this book to anyone looking to learn more about abortion laws, abortion in general, and how the laws are tricky no matter what. I look forward to uploading my quotes from this book. I would also like to add that I read a hardcover edition of this book but it had 174 pages, not 274 pages. I don't know if the Goodreads listing has incorrect information or if the edition of the book that I read isn't actually on the site.

[Marilyn · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book tells of Michelle Oberman's journey to understand how the law, abortion, and women's lives are entangled. She is a legal scholar at Santa Clara University, so her point of view is primarily laws and their effects. Ms. Oberman visited El Salvador where abortion is illegal except when a woman's life is in imminent danger (they mean this quite literally) - and where abortion is still common. She discusses how the landscape has changed with medical abortions (compared to the days when it was always surgical). She then moves on to Oklahoma, and delves into how anti-abortion laws there have changed over the years. In the process, she learns how the pro-choice and pro-life movements have simplified what turns out to be a desperate situation primarily affecting poor and vulnerable women who lack resources to travel or go to private clinics. She talks with people on both sides. This was an engrossing read and not full of legal jargon. Ms. Oberman is personally "pro-choice", but I think both camps could learn things from this book.

[Micki · Rating 2 out of 5]

Let me start this review by saying the subject matter, and the interviews conducted by the author, are riveting. However, the book itself is not written in a way that does these topics justice. For her effort - and the fact that technically there's no rules on the books that says that writing needs a clear thesis statement, that things presented as fact shouldn't be skewed by the author's opinions of the topics or of how difficult the subject was to interview, and that chapters shouldn't be written with a series of "Point Z, but before we get there, it's really crucial to understand Point Y" - I'm giving this 2 stars instead of one. I applaud her hard work and diving into such sensitive subject matter, but I wish the execution was up to par.

[Jody Mena · Rating 5 out of 5]

Good read, the author remains largely impartial, and discusses the real impact of abortion bans as they have played out in other countries, showing the ineffective, classist and largely symbolic nature of abortion bans, their impact on poverty and suicide rates, as well as their ineffectiveness at reducing abortion rates overall, and calls for people to abandon their "slogans" and have real, thoughtful discussions, not about law, but about the impact and effectiveness of a given law, and advocates for addressing root causes of why women seek abortion rather than merely raising laws that make moral statements but lack any real impact on the plight of women, especially those living in poverty.

[Jose · Rating 5 out of 5]

Coming from El Salvador and having heard both sides of what the author calls the “abortion war”, mostly always in emotionally charged discussions that lead nowhere I found this book to be a balanced and fresh take on the subject of abortion, focusing not on the “legal or not legal” discussion but changing the question altogether and exploring the effect of the law.
The first chapter hit home (literally) with me and the last is a great take on a hypothetical case if Row v Wade falls in the US., not only the author tells the stories of the women she has met with a sense of respect but she also applies that respect to those she interviewed with opposing views to hers, and this is where this book shines.
Wether you’re pro-life or pro-choice, this book should be on your reading list.