The book’s Epilogue speaks about Mimi, Ada, and Jo being incarcerated at the Oakdale Reformatory for Women, while in real life, Ada and Jo escaped serious prison time. Why do you suppose the author chose to depart from history? What did you think of her decision?
That’s a good question. I don’t know why the author chose to have the women incarcerated. I was sorry she did that. I would have liked for the women to have been set free.
Anna, I agree with you. I think the women should have been set free.
I was disappointed about the ending and agree with the other answers but I think the author was stating Mimi’s strong character analysis.
I wish the author had continued to stay historically accurate. I understand why she wanted to show that Mimi had to pay for her loyalty to her co-workers.
I agree somewhat with all the rest of you. But when I read that Ada and Jo did not go to prison I was confused as to her motive. Other than maybe she felt readers would be offended if they didn’t go to jail. I was disappointed in the ending. Maybe it would have been too fairy tale sweet not to have Mimi pay for her crimes.
I agree with the other comments – I was disappointed that they were sent to prison and don’t understand why she made that change.
This is just speculation, but perhaps the author wanted to illustrate that through her incarceration Mimi continued to grow and evolve, taking responsibility for her actions by refusing to take a plea deal & serving time pending appeal.
She may also have wanted to illustrate what she thought was a more realistic outcome. Jo and Ada were released pending appeal on a $3,000 bond. That was a lot of money in those days. More than Mimi could have raised, for sure.
I like your thoughts Janie. I only was upset with the author for changing the outcome historically However, having thoughts about the newly discovered nephew and her final sentence, certainly leads to your speculation. Let’s see if Mimi does continued to grow and evolve in the sequel.
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I would love a sequel!
I also agree with your speculation Janie-Hickok-Siess. I was expecting them to go to prison and was pleased that Mimi’s sentence had been reduced to three years instead of five. However I really wished the law had been applied correctly so all the evidence would have been inadmissible. It’s a shame now that we are almost back to those days.
I’m in agreement with all of you. And dang, still no sentencing for the baby daddies. Some states are thinking of or have introduced bills that would imprison the moms and abortion clinic providers with life sentences. One male rep in a nearby state suggested that these same people be put to death. Crazy times we live in today.
By having Mimi, Ada, and Jo face incarceration, the author highlights the risks that women faced and underscores the harsh legal and social consequences surrounding abortion during that era. The fictional ending may have been intended to provide a stronger sense of justice and tragedy than the historical record offered.
I had mixed feelings about the decision. On one hand, it creates an emotional ending and emphasizes the sacrifices the characters made. Seeing Ada and Jo imprisoned reinforces how women could be punished for actions that were often driven by desperation or compassion. On the other hand, because the story is based on real events, changing such an important historical outcome can blur the line between fact and fiction. Readers might come away with an inaccurate understanding of what actually happened.
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Mimi, Ada and Jo were all found guilty and sentenced to 3 years. They were incarcerated at the same prison. I don’t quite understand why they were separated in prison. I certainly don’t understand why the author separated the outcome in terms of the release on bond…was it the dollar amount? Perhaps to show that Mimi was guided by her internal compass and wanted to pay her debt in order to move on. Throughout the story we have been reminded that Mimi was conflicted about what she was doing and later believed in what she was doing was legally wrong but morally right in providing safe care. I too would have liked to see the three women have an equal outcome.
I, too, wondered why the author deviated from the historical facts. I hope that the publisher didn’t influence her writing.