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The Story of Jane
The Story of Jane: The Legendary Underground Feminist Abortion Service | Laura Kaplan
14 posts | 11 read | 34 to read
"In the four years before the Supreme Court's 1973 Roe vs. Wade decision, most women determined to get abortions had to subject themselves to the power of illegal, unregulated abortionists...But a Chicago woman who happened to stumble across a secret organization code-named 'Jane' had an alternative. Laura Kaplan, who joined Jane in 1971, has pieced together the histories of the anonymous (here identified only by pseudonyms), average-sounding women who transformed themselves into outlaws."Cleveland Plain Dealer "The Story of Jane is a piece of women's history in step with feminist theory demanding that women tell their own stories. It serves to remind people of an important and often overlooked moment in the women's rights movement."Seattle Weekly "Laura Kaplan's The Story of Jane is the first book to chronicle this controversial sliver of history, and it is a fascinating, if partisan, close-up of the group."Newsday "[Kaplan] draws on her personal recollections and interviews with Jane members and clients and the doctors who performed the abortions to provide a well-written, detailed history of this radical group."Publisher's Weekly "Weaving together the voices and memories of her former co-workers, Kaplan recounts how the group initially focused on counseling women and helping them find reliable, reasonably priced doctors....Kaplan's account of this remarkable story recaptures the political idealism of the early '70s...23 years after Roe vs. Wade, the issues and memories raised by the books are close and all too relevant."K Kaufmann, San Francisco Chronicle "Laura Kaplan's The Story of Jane is the first book to chronicle this controversial sliver of history, and it is a fascinating, if partisan, close-up of the group....The Story of Jane succeeds on the steam of Kaplan's gripping subject and her moving belief in the power of small-scale change."Cynthia Leive, New York Newsday "During the four years before the Supreme Court's Roe v. Wade decision legalized abortion in 1973, the 100 members of Jane helped some 11,000 women end their pregnancies....There is more in this remarkable book that will further raise eyebrows....Kaplan's engrossing tales of the quiet courage of the women who risked their reputations and freedom to help others may remind many readers of other kinds of outlaws who have resisted tyranny throughout history."Chicago Sun-Times
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TheBookHippie
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IndoorDame 51 years later and we may need that number again 11mo
TheBookHippie @IndoorDame FYI they still function… to be alive then and now 🤯 me. 🤬😡 11mo
IndoorDame @TheBookHippie that‘s awesome! And I actually can‘t quite imagine… it must be mind blowing and so hard to watch 11mo
SamAnne I live in Spokane, WA 35 miles from the Idaho border. Our Planned Parenthood is inundated. 11mo
40 likes4 comments
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IndoorDame
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#BookYouOftenRecommend One of my most frequently recommended books of the past year. I finally watched the HBO documentary last night, and while I didn‘t think it captured the spirit of the book or did it justice, I know it will reach a lot of people the book won‘t and I want this story to be told. #MarchMagic @Eggs @Alwaysbeenaloverofbooks

Alwaysbeenaloverofbooks Perfect 💛 12mo
56 likes6 stack adds1 comment
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IndoorDame
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I‘m notoriously terrible at picking favorites, but the tagged book was probably my #TopRead222 so I‘m super eager to see what the new HBO version is like. #JanuaryJazz @Eggs @Alwaysbeenaloverofbooks

Eggs Perfect! 1y
RedCurly I did't know there is book too! Thanks! 1y
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SamAnne Haven‘t read this, loved the documentary about the Janes. More than the fictionalized movie. 1y
IndoorDame @SamAnne where did you see documentary? I know it exists, but haven‘t been able to find it online. 1y
SamAnne @IndoorDame on HBOmax 1y
IndoorDame @SamAnne thanks! 1y
54 likes1 stack add7 comments
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IndoorDame
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I may finish another book this year, but I doubt it will displace anything in my #Top22of22 list. I had so many things I wanted to put on this list, so I limited myself to 1 book per author, no rereads, and tried to make sure I included a cross-section of the genres I read during the year. These are in no particular order, but they all made a real impression and I think they‘ll all stick with me for a long time.

jlhammar I have An Unkindness of Ghosts and The Forgotten Garden on my shelves, yet to be read. Now I‘m looking forward to them even more! (edited) 1y
IndoorDame @jlhammar ooh, those were two I went into pretty much blind and they were such great surprises. I hope you enjoy! (Though An Unkindness of Ghosts is a difficult read, check CWs if that‘s a big deal for you) 1y
Cinfhen Love that you made sure to include lots of genres😁 1y
54 likes3 comments
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Nebklvr
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Pickpick

Hmm. As a people‘s organization, it had issues in leadership. A woman run underground service for women. Sad to think we are regressing.

OrangeMooseReads I watched a docuseries on this group on HBO MAX. Now I need this book. 2y
Nebklvr @OrangeMooseReads I don‘t have HBO. This would be hard to watch. 1y
OrangeMooseReads @Nebklvr it was. The frustration level just kept rising in me. HBO MAX is a streaming service that you can get for a monthly fee. 1y
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Nebklvr @OrangeMooseReads I bet it was tense. I don‘t watch very much entertainment and hate to pay for it so will pry leave it at the book. Glad it is out there though. 1y
SamAnne Need to check this book out. The HBO documentary The Janes was wonderful. yes a difficult subject and time, but it also had a bit of humor, an just was so inspiring, these women who risked everything to save women's lives. I live on the border of Idaho, and my City will be taking in hundreds of women from MT, ID, the Dakotas, etc who now will be refused health care. 1y
Nebklvr @SamAnne I have a feeling many people will be looking into resistance methods too 1y
39 likes1 stack add6 comments
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IndoorDame
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Pickpick

This is an is essentially a collective memoir based on interviews with as many people as the author could find who were involved with this amazing, relatively unknown, moment in our history. Very moving. #BBRCAdultItsMyPerogative #Nonfiction2022ImASaint @LibrarianRyan @Riveted_Reader_Melissa

SamAnne I recently watched the HBO show The Janes. Recommend. 2y
IndoorDame @SamAnne thanks, I‘ll check it out! 2y
LibrarianRyan Yeah I have the janes on my HBO watch list, and it has been on Tik Tok quite a bit. Now that I know this exists, I will have to try and listen to it. 2y
55 likes2 stack adds3 comments
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TheBookHippie
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#litsylovesummerswap

I did cry I was so touched. Jane is very important to me and Shakespeare and the bag and coffee. I‘m so grateful for this package!!! That mug is everything!!!

rsteve388 I have the Jane book on Audio if you want to do a buddy read let me know I want a reason to read it.. as if I need one but I'd like a buddy... 2y
TheBookHippie @rsteve388 absolutely!!! I am pretty much offthegrid/offline until July 10 but anytime after that! I check Litsy 🤣 all these swaps- but I‘m trying to rest my body and mind 😅. 2y
rsteve388 @TheBookHippie Cool let's start it on July 20th 2y
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TheBookHippie @rsteve388 it‘s a plan! 2y
KristiAhlers Oh that pile of happiness makes me happy for you! They legit know what you love! 💜 2y
Deblovestoread 💜💜💜 especially that mug! 2y
kspenmoll Perfect gifts for you! Enjoy! 2y
kspenmoll I think I have this book somewhere. Love to join in if I find it. 2y
TheBookHippie @kspenmoll YES!!! I hope you find it!! 2y
73 likes3 stack adds9 comments
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Andrea313
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Re-reading and furiously taking notes. Furiously. #AbortionIsHealthCare #ButHerEmails

bookishbitch It is infuriating that we are here again!! 2y
33 likes2 stack adds1 comment
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SarahSaysRead
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Mehso-so

So I had never heard of Jane, and it's absolutely fascinating and I wish their story was more widely known. The approach they took to abortion and women's healthcare and liberation in general was refreshing and amazing. The downside is that this book is kind of all over the place and hard to follow, it's not organized in any clear or linear way, and a ton of names are floated about. It seems badly in need of editing.

#abortion #history #roevwade

21 likes1 stack add
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Karen.reads
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I only recently learned about this underground network that helped woman get abortions in Chicago in the 1970s and I am so here for this. #keepabortionlegal

10 likes3 stack adds
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Ekkross

If women are stuck with the victim/whore dichotomy, I‘ll be the whore because we‘ve had enough victims.

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Ekkross

“Women are being reduced, once again, to the incubators of future generations with total responsibility but no power.”

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Ekkross
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Really excited to be starting this one! #smashthepatriarchy #abortionishealthcare #badasswomenofhistory

21 likes3 stack adds
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AEBowenPhD
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This book gets me pumping my fist in the air and reenergizes me when I'm doing abortion access work. It's part of the list I put together for @bookriot on books to make sense of contemporary abortion rights and reproductive justice issues http://bookriot.com/2016/06/29/books-to-make-sense-of-abortion-rights-hb2-and-sc...

13 likes3 stack adds