Roe: The History of a National Obsession

by Mary Ziegler

The leading U.S. expert on abortion law charts the many meanings associated with Roe v. Wade during its fifty-year history
 
“Ziegler sets a brisk pace but delivers substantial depth. . . . A must-read for those seeking to understand what comes next.”— Publishers Weekly
 
What explains the insistent pull of Roe v. Wade ? Abortion law expert Mary Ziegler argues that the U.S. Supreme Court decision, which decriminalized abortion in 1973 and was overturned in 2022, had a hold on us that was not simply the result of polarized abortion politics. Rather, Roe took on meanings far beyond its original purpose of protecting the privacy of the doctor-patient relationship. It forced us to confront questions about sexual violence, judicial activism and restraint, racial justice, religious liberty, the role of science in politics, and much more.
 
In this history of what the Supreme Court’s best-known decision has meant, Ziegler identifies the inconsistencies and unsettled issues in our abortion politics. She urges us to rediscover the nuance that has long resided where we would least expect to find it—in the meaning of Roe itself.

Genres: Nonfiction, History, Politics, Feminism, Law, American History, Audiobook

248 pages, Hardcover

First published January 24, 2023

Reviews

[Alex · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book serves as a good overview of the history of abortion rights, but personally I find it a bit shallow—if you’ve ready any books about the history of feminism in the 70s/80s and have followed the news in the past 20 years or so, you probably won’t get much from this book. The author generally strives to keep a very neutral tone, and most chapters can be summarized as “the pro-life movement was saying this, and the pro-choice movement was saying this, and they were both using [insert topic here] as a talking point but from different perspectives.” There are relatively few original arguments or thoughts, and I think the marketing does it a disservice. It’s great at answering “how” questions rather than “why” questions, and if you’re looking for a comprehensive summary of the major players in the abortion debate, it definitely suits that purpose.

[Alex Gruenenfelder · Rating 5 out of 5]

The fact that I made it through this entire book on Christmas Day should tell you how good it is. It's readable, accessible, and really important right now. Don't let the death of Roe v. Wade stop you from reading it: let it obligate you to.

Having read Mary Ziegler's "Dollars for Life," I knew that I had to look to the new book by America's foremost abortion rights historian about the entire history of Roe v. Wade. She seeks to answer a question that many of us take for granted today: "Why Roe?" Why is it that this one abortion case out of many has become the center of the debate for so many decades, why did it embolden the anti-abortion movement in an entirely new way, and where did grey zones in the law around it really exist? And how is it that this particular legal case has been prominent in a way that Supreme Court cases are rarely the central focal point of other social movements? Though it occasionally goes in circles toward the beginning, Ziegler overall uses detailed historical research in a search to break down the pro-choice / pro-life binary in how Americans view abortion in politics.

Prior to the intersectionality of the current , Roe allowed the United States to see abortion in a medical instead of moral environment. The pro-choice movement thus linked themselves to the nation's medical elite, which I found relatable as someone who comes from a family of doctors: abortion has almost always been discussed as a medical and scientific issue. This could not last forever, however, and Ziegler depicts how strategy and messaging has changed for the abortion rights movement over time. After all, "[t]he more Americans talked about Roe and science, the more contradictions emerged."

On the other hand, the pro-life movement linked themselves to the civil rights movement. Both of these had the same goal of increasing respectability for their cause, and Ziegler is highly effective at giving context and perspective to all sides involved. As a historian truly seeking to be unbiased, she is relatively sympathetic at letting the viewpoints of all involved shine through. The intersectionality and diversity on both sides is depicted, so much so that I think occasionally Ziegler over-inflates the role of non-white women in the anti-choice movement, when white men have played such a prominent role in restricting women's bodies.

I remember running an account a few years ago that posted anonymous abortion stories to show people that they had people who had abortions in their lives; as a teenager then, I didn't realize that we were fighting the impending barbarism of the abortion bans that we are now seeing. I don't know if there is any American civil rights struggle as important right now as the abortion rights movement. In this context, it is our responsibility as advocates for bodily autonomy to learn our movement's history, learn the failures of our history and the successful strategies of our opponents, and understand that one single court case does not define a human right. This book contains the entire history of Roe and a much broader history, and I recommend it to anyone who wants to understand this complex issue.

[Rick Wilson · Rating 3 out of 5]

It’s a reasonable history, and I greatly appreciate the relatively neutral tone. It’s abbreviated and clipped in a way that left me wanting more.

[Valerie · Rating 5 out of 5]

A very solid political and social history of the issues surrounding the Roe decision that is a must read no matter where you fall on this issue. It helps if you have a solid understanding of the process of US legislation, lobbying, and administrative law and how they work together.

[Anjali · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ziegler's first goal in 'Roe' is to convince you that America's enduring fascination with Roe v. Wade is completely perplexing. This was a difficult premise for me to accept, because... well why wouldn't it be? The judicial decision protected womens' reproductive autonomy for half a century until it was overturned last year. But Ziegler sets out to show her reader that our popular understanding of Roe and what it means has been anything but stagnant. She traces how both the pro-life and pro-choice movements framed the decision, elevating Roe into a symbol of much more than just abortion rights. 'Roe' is a fascinating study about how activists work to create meaning, and how they frame issues in ways that advance their agendas.

[Janelle Bailey]

111: Roe: The History of a National Obsession by Mary Ziegler

I listened to this rather than reading it, and given the content it may have been better--wiser--to read the print version, given the details conveyed. I learned a lot while listening, but I cannot say that much of it attached.

[Hunter McCall · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really loved this books ability to compile a giant chunk of information into an organized and short book. I genuinely think I’ve expanded my knowledge on the abortion debate and the intricacies of the legal struggles with the issue. Recommend to anyone trying to get a good basis of info on an important topic in American history and especially American future.

[Zeynep · Rating 3 out of 5]

Women’s History Month 2024

Roe v Wade ve kürtaj konuları geçen seneden beri hem Amerika’nın hem de dünyanın gündemindeyken bu kitabı storytel listeme atmıştım. Sonuç olarak çok Amerikan bazlı kaldığı (ki bu normal, Roe v Wade bir amerikan yasası) ve çoğu konuyu yeterince derinlemesine işlemediği için 3/5 veriyorum. 3 çok yüksek olmasa da yazarın Amerika’daki kürtaj problematiğini kronolojik bir şekilde anlatış şekli gayet güzel ve takip etmesi kolaydı. Lakin kitabı okurken keşke alt-right, race ve gender konuları bir tık daha derinlemesine irdelenseymiş diye de düşünmedim değil…

[Dot526 · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was an interesting but slightly confusing/frustrating read for me. I believe the author tried to stay neutral throughout and gives extensive notes/sources (the last quarter of the book) but due to this, I had to keep flipping back and forth for actual sourcing as not all the facts come from sources I think we should be trusting. The author also is trying to understand why we are so focused on Roe (more then other SCOTUS cases) - This doesn’t seem perplexing to me.

[Marya · Rating 3 out of 5]

The book is pretty straight forward, though I had never really considered the arguments in this way. Rather than a simple history of side A says this and side B responds with this, Ziegler stops the clock to say "hold on. what exactly do you mean?" Of course both sides will bemoan "judicial activism." Of course that means different things to each side. But Ziegler introduces the question of "just why is the everyday American suddenly interested in judicial precedent anyway?" It's these side quests that provide the most movement in this story. Sure, we might still be having the same arument, but the context has very much changed; that's where you will find the progress.

[Cheryl Schibley · Rating 4 out of 5]

Kind of a history of abortion laws in Ameria from the mid-1800s on. Abortion has been around since the beginning of life and exists in all forms of life. Most females abort to ensure the survival of their existing offspring.

In the 1800s, when the US needed people to migrate west, they started making abortion laws. During the great depression when there were too many hungry mouths to feed, they greatly loosened laws. Now, when white folks aren't having as many kids, they are worried about control, so they are once again forcing unwanted births.

[Danielle T · Rating 4 out of 5]

Finished last week, didn't get a chance to log until today. Felt a little post-mortem (unsurprisingly) reading it now, though the author (a law professor focused on abortion law and conservatism) could see how the courts were moving. Ultimately, legal, social, and scientific reasons are bandied about when conservatives aimed to reduce choices. There's some outliers, like the AUL leader who was a progressive Catholic, but otherwise interesting how choice has been framed over the decades in the United States.

[Tammy · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was encouraged to read this book by Mark Lee Dickson. He said it was a very balanced presentation of the national obsession: abortion. Having read other books on this topic, I have to agree. While it is definitely not written by someone with no opinion on the topic, she did a great job of presenting a relatively fair presentation of the issue.

I really enjoyed the timeline and all the different phases of both sides of the movement. I would highly encourage anyone who has any interest in understanding what is going on and how we got to this place on abortion to read this book.

[Mandy · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book has made me even more violently pro-choice than I was before.

I appreciated the history, and the overall neutral sort of tone. The history was fascinating, but I couldn’t help but feel like it wanted me to be swayed to pro-life? Idk, that was kind of my take while listening to it, but Ziegler did give both sides view of Roe and abortion.

In the end, I am even more convinced that abortion is a personal choice between a pregnant person and their doctor and no one should be standing in the way of it.

[Amelia · Rating 4 out of 5]

An interesting and concise book about how much of a chokehold Roe has on our politics. Even with Casey and Dobbs, it's Roe that's most cited and debated. With plenty of citations, Ziegler discusses the ways in which Roe has helped women's rights and how one court ruling cannot possibly incorporate any and all aspects of abortion rights and reproductive justice.

Definitely a wonderful addition to your library, and one that's much needed now that we're nearly one year post Roe.

[Natalie · Rating 4 out of 5]

A good overview of the history of this topic. It's a whole lot to digest stretching decades, multiple political parties, lawsuits, courts, non-profits, medical professionals, extremists, and the list goes on. Definitely learned more about its complicated history. A big takeaway is how long and how some of the organizations involved have been around.

[Brian Riedel · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good as a primer for those interested in abortion rights post the Roe decision. The book is extremely neutral, even to a fault. So if youre looking for the “right” answer you wont find it here. But if youre looking to introspect on your thoughts on the abortion debate from a somewhat objective place this is for you.

[Ehsan Omidi · Rating 3 out of 5]

Important topic of course, and interesting to learn about how entangled it is with politics and women’s right for the past ~50 years. The chapters of the book though were so hard to follow, understand the order, and their objective. The editor dropped the ball here! Too bad!

[RAnthony · Rating 4 out of 5]

An even-handed history of Roe v Wade and the failings on both sides of the resulting argument to understand what was really at stake for the average American woman when it came to family planning and healthcare decisions.

[Heather · Rating 3 out of 5]

If you have researched Roe or paid attention to the news I doubt youll gain much. The author keeps a neutral tone giving both sides of the history. I did feel like the prolife received more attention.

[Sara · Rating 3 out of 5]

Audio

[Lori Yvette Fernandez Lopez · Rating 3 out of 5]

The points in the book were very interesting, but were poorly organized overall.

[Shana Oshin · Rating 3 out of 5]

Kind of a weird premise… of course we’re still obsessed with and refer to Roe! That’s very self explanatory! But appreciated some of the history and some of the characters that were introduced.

[Xylia · Rating 4 out of 5]

I found the history informative.

[Ashlee · Rating 4 out of 5]

I think this does a good job at a brief history of key moments.

[Alicia Parenteau · Rating 3 out of 5]

A digestible overview and how it’s had a chokehold on our politics forever.

[ASC Library]

362.1988 Zie

[Laura Perry · Rating 4 out of 5]

I think this was a good base level book to start learning about the history behind roe vs wade. It was short enough that it never lost me as I was listening to it.

[Susan Miller · Rating 3 out of 5]

I read it, but I did not find it a worthy text on this subject.

Donated to a Little Free Library.

[Lynn Barrett · Rating 3 out of 5]

A very academically-written book.