What information in the book was new to you? Did you learn anything about the time period from it? Did anything surprise you?
It surprised me that there were decent abortion clinics. I had always read that women had to go to places not so nice, unclean and without doctors and often ending in their deaths.
I knew that during this time period women were controlled by men.
I knew that safe abortion clinics were available and Chicago is known for it’s shady politics but to have a clinic in an respectable downtown area did surprise me.
I had previously read the novel, Looking for Jane, set in the 1970’s. I did not realize that established abortion clinics were available in big cities as early as the 1920’s. I never knew that organized crime was involved in such clinics.
I was totally surprised that there were in fact clean safe abortion clinics during that time in the big cities. I did not know that organized crime was involved.
i was surprised to find out that there were clean and decent abortion clinics during this time period. I always thought that illegal abortions were back alley dirty places where a woman was lucky not to die during or after the procedure.
I was surprised to learn that there were as many clinics operating as the author noted. I had no idea there were that many, but they were, of course, in large cities, not rural areas.
I too was surprised that there were “clean and safe” (expect for the raids) clinics available during that time.
I was not award of the decent well run clinics available. I had always heard of the unclean facilities, the improper equipment used, perhaps better known as the back alleys type of abortions. Having had an uncle who worked for the city court system in Chicago for years and years, I was well aware of the city’s shady politics. So that part did not come as a surprise, in fact it only reinforced his many stories shared over the years.
I had always thought when abortions were illegal that women would not have the option for clinics like the ones in the book. I didn’t realize there were clinics like this that were much safer.
I too read Looking for Jane and had the same surprises as you
Like others, I didn’t know there were clinics in the larger cities. Now I wonder where my aunt went for her procedures. She lived in a small town in NE Iowa and would have had at least one maybe two procedures in the 30s. She did eventually marry, have two kids and left them with her parents to raise when she divorced and fled to California. Yup, like I mentioned earlier, many families had secrets.
One of the things I learned from When No One Else Will was how widespread and organized abortion services were in large cities like Chicago during the 1930s and 1940s, despite being illegal.
Perhaps the biggest surprise was realizing how familiar some of the debates felt. Although the story takes place nearly a century ago, many of the questions about reproductive rights, healthcare access, personal freedom, and the role of government remain topics of public debate today. That made the novel feel both historical and remarkably relevant.
I agree, Looking for Jane brought this topic to my attention. I really enjoyed it.
I had no idea that organized crime would have a connection. But why not? If there is a way to make money there will be crime.