Felicia Kornbluh

A Woman's Life Is a Human Life, by Felicia Kornbluh, couples personal stories of the pre-Roe (and shortly after Roe) battles with an important broader historical account. With the addition of the Epilogue the work also becomes a call to action for grassroots movements seeking reproductive justice (and healthcare advocates across the board).

The information here is very personal (the two main "characters" are Kornbluh's mother and their neighbor) but with an eye toward emphasizing the tension which has always been a part of feminist activism, especially around health issues. There are certainly some "what if" moments, as in what if some factions had cooperated from the beginning perhaps some of the current setbacks might have been avoided. But the emphasis is not on blaming but on highlighting how these women worked toward, and largely achieved, their goals.

Even with my background in WGS departments I learned quite a bit here I didn't know previously. Aside from learning new facts I think the biggest takeaway from the book is an approach to organizing in the here and now to regain the ground we have recently lost. Not simply grassroots, though that is a necessary aspect, but the inclusiveness. Rights activists of any kind in the last half century owe a great deal to the civil rights movement, yet more often than not the Black and people of color are the ones left out of much of the progress. Again, we must learn from Black activists, namely the concept of reproductive justice. A more comprehensive healthcare position that advocates not just for abortion rights or against forced (or coerced) sterilization, but for the overall health of women, which by extension means the health of everyone as well as a more equitable society, from food and housing to police violence and mass incarceration.

I read an uncorrected proof, which always has some errors. To not recommend this because of that is asinine. The factual content is correct, the ideas are presented very well. As a result, I, and anyone who wants these ideas shared, will have no reservations about recommending this book. Those concerned with errors, well, they must have their own reasons for not wanting these ideas shared, or they have never read an uncorrected proof.

The body of the book is not particularly long, but there are a lot of endnotes. While I do usually prefer footnotes, I agree with Kornbluh's rationale behind opting for extensive notes but putting them at the end. Since this is not an academic work most readers are more interested in the narrative than verifying each and every fact. Footnotes can disrupt the flow of reading for many readers, so placing them at the end helps to make the book something between a standard popular book (with minimal citing) and an academic book with extensive citing and, often, additional information in the notes. The vast majority of the notes are references, not additional information. If a reader wants to know where something came from, either to verify or to read more, they can refer to the back. There really is no reason to have to check every note, even for research purposes.

Reviewed from a copy made available by the publisher via NetGalley.… (more)