Jane Against the World: Roe v. Wade and the Fight for Reproductive Rights

Written by Karen Blumenthal Roaring Brook; 386 pages; $19.99; ages 12 and up

Get set to get mad. This riveting and revealing treatise lays bare a grim fact: Through restrictions on birth control and abortion, women have historically and systematically been robbed of their right to selfdetermination.

Beginning in 19th century America, Blumenthal carefully constructs a sorry tale that encompasses old ideas about where babies come from; the eugenics movement; pregnancy tests; sterilization (forced and voluntary); contraceptive methods; “maternity homes” for unwed mothers; inequities of class and race; the sometimes violent antiabortion movement; the Catholic Church; feminism; sex education; Planned Parenthood; battles over restrictive legislation and recent Supreme Court nominations; and key court cases including Roe vs. Wade. So much information is new to me and powerfully amplified when pulled together.

This crossover is broad, deep and satisfying for both the young and fullfledged adults. Its meticulous research and journalistic style add up to exemplary nonfiction — supremely accessible, persuasive and important. In the end, it eschews a Pollyanna wrapup with this disheartening last sentence: “The fights over whether, when and how a woman may decide to have a child are far from over.” See what I mean by infuriating?

Susan Faust is a member of the Association for Library Service to Children, most recently serving on the 2018 Children’s Literature Legacy Award selection committee. She was a librarian at Katherine Delmar Burke School in San Francisco for 33 years. Email: books@ sfchronicle.com