Tells the stories of 50 women from diverse backgrounds who had to choose whether to give birth or to abort; about half carried their pregnancies to term, and the others ended them. The authors set the context for each decade and for each individual and conclude with a chapter on "the human face of dilemma." Annotation copyright Book News, Inc. Portland, Or.

Birth or Abortion?: Private Struggles in a Political World

Maloy, Kate

Children's Books

Springer

Many Americans who believe that women should be able to choose when and whether to bear a child are also deeply disturbed by the one-and-one-half million abortions performed each year in this country. They regard these concerns as irreconcilable, because the topic of abortion, until now, has been framed as a black-or-white conflict between the rights of the mother and those of the fetus. The very idea of compromise or common cause draws scorn among factions. How, after all, can the political debate about abortion permit any more options than pregnancy itself does? This extraordinary book tells fifty stories about women from strikingly diverse backgrounds who have had to choose whether to give birth or to abort. About half of these women carried their pregnancies to term; the others ended them. Their decisions arose from heartfelt struggles, expressed in terms completely different from those that prevail in the public debate. Some women who abhor abortion ended up choosing that option; others who are prochoice opted for birth or had abortions that, in some instances, caused them sorrow or regret. The outcome of nearly every private dilemma hung on practical and emotional matters - the quality of the connection between the woman and the man, the financial resources available, the number of children the woman already had, the state of her self-esteem, and the health of the fetus - rather than on the weighing of rights. These insightful and eloquent authors hold up a mirror to our society and show us that we have pitted mother against fetus. They ask whether we have emphasized the rights of individuals at the expense of human responsibility and care. This most intellectually challenging yetsensitive book transcends all other books on this topic. The complexity and rich nuances of the stories it tells permits us to see this controversy with new eyes. These stories, woven together, are our nation's story - one that has never been told by the long and angry debate. Once we learn to hear these women, we may also learn to listen to one another and work toward common values and moral responsibility.

Politics & Social Sciences

Patterson, Maggie Jones

Politics & Government

Basic Books

Sarah Lucas imagined the rest of her days would be spent living peacefully in her rural Vermont home in the steadfast company of her husband. But now, with Charles's sudden passing, seventy-five-year-old Sarah is left inconsolably alone. As grief settles in, Sarah's mind lingers on her past: her imperfect but devoted fifty-year marriage to Charles; the years they spent raising their three very different children; and her childhood during the Great Depression, when her parents opened their home to countless relatives and neighbors. So, when a variety of wayward souls come seeking shelter in Sarah's own big, empty home, her past comes full circle. As this unruly flock forms a family of sorts, they—with Sarah—nurture and protect one another, all the while discovering their unsuspected strengths and courage. In the tradition of Jane Smiley and Sue Miller, Kate Maloy has crafted a wise and gratifying novel about a woman who gracefully accepts a surprising new role just when she though her best years were behind her.

Every Last Cuckoo: A Novel

Literature & Fiction

United States

Algonquin Books

Sarah Lucas imagined the rest of her days would be spent living peacefully in her rural Vermont home in the steadfast company of her husband. But now, with Charles's sudden passing, seventy-five-year-old Sarah is left inconsolably alone.As grief settles in, Sarah's mind lingers on her past: her imperfect but devoted fifty-year marriage to Charles; the years they spent raising their three very different children; and her childhood during the Great Depression, when her parents opened their home to countless relatives and neighbors. So, when a variety of wayward souls come seeking shelter in Sarah's own big, empty home, her past comes full circle. As this unruly flock forms a family of sorts, they-with Sarah-nurture and protect one another, all the while discovering their unsuspected strengths and courage.In the tradition of Jane Smiley and Sue Miller, Kate Maloy has crafted a wise and gratifying novel about a woman who gracefully accepts a surprising new role just when she though her best years were behind her.

Every Last Cuckoo

Through the lenses of the seasons and reawakened Quaker faith, a midlife escapee from a "straight-edged" to a more fulfilling lifestyle in the Vermont woods reflects upon her journey of "miracles found and fears allayed" including an Internet connection to a new love. Maloy is the author of Birth or Abortion: Private Struggles in a Political World ." Annotation c. Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)

A Stone Bridge North: Reflections in a New Life

Biographies & Memoirs

Community & Culture

Counterpoint

This is the author's own story of miracles found and fears allayed in the journey out of a confining urban existence and into a simpler, more joyous life. To tell this story fully, she must look through changed eyes at her past - at childhood anxieties, family disaffections, failed marriages, late motherhood, restless boredom and, paradoxically, a native talent for joy. She learns that she has been guided by faith even when she thought she had none. She begins to discern purpose and design both in her stories and in the light by which she sees them - a light refracted through a Quaker lens that searches for the sacred in all people. As the four seasons turn, she celebrates the loves of her new life - family, friends, language, silence and the extraordinary landscape of Vermont.

A Stone Bridge North

Black Balloon Publishing LLC dba Counterpoint

At age seventy-five, Sarah thought her life was settled and assured; she and Charles would live out their days in the quiet comfort of their rural Vermont home. But now, with Charles gone, Sarah is unable to find peace. That is, until her life is turned on its head when her granddaughter Lottie comes to live with her.
Soon, two displaced young friends of Lottie's who need a safe place to call home are added to household. Then comes an Israeli soldier-turned-pacifist who needs a retreat. When a young family loses its home to a fire, Sarah finds room for them also. And just when she thinks her life couldn't possibly get any more chaotic, a woman and her infant, fleeing a violent spouse, show up. Suddenly Sarah's picture perfect home has become an unruly refuge -- and she loves it!

Center Point Pub

See the best price to sell, buy, or rent books by Maloy, Kate. BookScouter helps to compare book prices from 25+ online bookstores and 30+ buyback vendors with a single search.

Books by Maloy, Kate

See the best price to sell, buy, or rent books by Maloy, Kate. BookScouter helps to compare book prices from 25+ online bookstores and 30+ buyback vendors with a single search.

Birth or Abortion?: Private Struggles in a Political World

Birth or Abortion?: Private Struggles in a Political World

Every Last Cuckoo: A Novel

Every Last Cuckoo

A Stone Bridge North: Reflections in a New Life

A Stone Bridge North

Every Last Cuckoo