Need help? All You Have to do is Call (by Kerri Maher)

#AllYouHavetoDoIsCall #NetGalley

Not so long ago, I was transported to Paris and the world of Shakespeare & Co. in Ms. Maher’s last novel. This time, readers are placed firmly in the Chicago area in the early 1970s.

It is a time of upheaval and change, even as some cling to a more 1950s lifestyle. Readers are introduced to several main characters who live in the time period.

Veronica is a bit of a free spirit and a person who is involved in the social movements of the time. Most significantly, she becomes a part of the Jane network, providing safe, but illegal, abortion services.

Patty, a friend of Veronica’s growing up years, is more conservative. She is a traditional wife and mother who is concerned about her doctor husband’s recent lack of interest in her.

Siobhan is a newer friend of Veronica’s. The story opens as Veronica accompanies Siobhan to her illegal abortion. Siobhan is an artist who is separated/divorced from her professor husband Gabe. She is active in the Janes.

Margaret is a new Assistant Professor at the University of Chicago. She is finding her way and becomes friends with Phyllis. She also becomes involved with Gabe.

This is a rich historical novel that will remind readers of what life was like in the days before Roe v Wade, a time that we have now reentered. The author tells her story well and readers will become immersed in the lives of these fictional characters and the decisions that they make.

I highly recommend this one. It is being published at just the right time.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Berkley Publishing Group for this title. All opinions are my own.

Pub date: 19 September 2023

All You Have to do is Call very much tells its own story but those who read this one may also want to read Looking for Jane. Abortion is also its subject but the two stories are different. My review is below.

Editorial Reviews

Review

“All You Have to Do Is Call honors the heroines of the Jane collective who provided safe, clandestine health services in the pre-Roe v. Wade era. Maher sketches all three women with compassion and sensitivity as they come to rely on each other in the absence of the law, and their journey is profoundly moving. A novel both powerful and timely!”
—Kate Quinn, New York Times bestselling author of The Diamond Eye

“A captivating tale of women sacrificing everything in order to support other women. Everyone should read and discuss this book. Everyone.”
—Dolen Perkins-Valdez, New York Times bestselling author of Take My Hand

“All You Have to Do is Call is about the power of women working together, their friendships, their loves, their lives and how, when united, they really can change the world even in the face of seemingly insurmountable barriers. Inspiring, important but also page-turning, Kerri Maher pulls off a remarkable feat in this novel.”
—Natasha Lester, New York Times bestselling author of The Paris Orphan

“Although the novel captures a provocative, explosive period in the past, it couldn’t be more relevant today. With unflinching courage and fierce characters, Maher not only packs a punch but also gives us all the feels in this inspiring, powerhouse novel—exposing the profound choices women made and the risks they took to help other women.”
—Lisa Barr, New York Times bestselling author of Woman on Fire

“Sheds light on the intrepid women who put everything on the line… Inspiring and timely, and an absolute must-read.”
—Madeline Martin, New York Times bestselling author of The Librarian Spy

“This powerful story… shows the solidarity and bravery of Jane members in the face of great risk, the immense changes which took place during those troubled times, and the impact of “women’s lib” and Roe V. Wade. An eye-opening, informative book that’s well worth reading.”
—Booklist (starred review)

My review of Looking for Jane:

My Recommendation

Heather Marshall’s first novel reads like the work of a more experienced author. She delivers a compelling book on an important issue that has become increasingly contentious. In these pages, through her characters, Ms. Marshall humanizes the tricky topic of women’s reproductive rights and (sometimes lack of) choices. Readers get to know a number of characters in several timelines over the course of the novel. Stories converge in ways that feel just right. Main characters in the novel include those below: Evelyn become pregnant only to have her fiance die; she wanted her baby but had no support. What happens to each of them? Watch what Evelyn does with her life. Evelyn becomes good friends with Maggie. They help one another to get through some painful experiences. How will Maggie’s life relate to those of other characters? Clara faced a life and death situation when she found herself pregnant. How will she cope with the choice that she made? How does Nancy’s life fit into that of other women in the book? What big secret was kept from her daughter and what will happen when it is known? And what about Angela? How will an old letter impact her and at least one other woman? This is a story of all that can happen when a woman faces a pregnancy. I think that is why the author chose to have so many characters. The story is told with compassion and a bit of righteous anger. The scandals around homes for unwed mothers that are described here echo the Magdalen Laundries of Ireland. It is painful to recall that young women in need of compassion were unable to find this during the time period of the story. It was also impossibly difficult for those who chose an abortion during the same time. They knew that the risks were high and that they could die. Imagine the fear. Medical professionals who chose to help others through an underground network knew that the risks were also great for them as those women Looking for Jane found them. This book offers a wide point of view. There are women who become pregnant when they are not ready, there are those who are unable to have children or are struggling with infertility, those impacted by adoption, and the young women who are influenced by the decisions that their mother made. There are no judgments about any of them, just an open and caring attitude. This is a moving novel that reads quickly even as it deals with big topics. I highly recommend ti. Be sure to read the author’s own thoughts on her book. Many thanks to NetGalley and Atria Books for this title. All opinions are my own.