IndieReader Calls Given No Choice a “Well-Researched and Thought-Provoking” History of Abortion Rights
The independent review outlet awarded Given No Choice: A History of Abortion Rights 4.5 stars and praised its research, depth and journalistic approach to one of America's enduring conflicts.
One of the challenges of writing history is never knowing how readers will respond once years of research finally leave your desk and enter the world.
That is why I was grateful to see Given No Choice: A History of Abortion Rights receive a 4.5-star review and an “IR Approved” designation from IndieReader, one of the country’s leading review outlets for independently published books.
The review describes the book as a “well-researched and thought-provoking chronicle” of the long struggle over abortion rights in the United States and notes that it combines human stories with the legal, political, and social history that shaped the debate.
What I appreciated most about the review was its recognition of the approach that guided this project from the beginning. The reviewer observed that the book relies heavily on documented historical evidence and presents its findings through a journalistic lens rather than partisan rhetoric. The review notes that the book traces the history of abortion and birth control from the early twentieth century through Roe v. Wade, the rise of the Religious Right, and the post-Roe era.
That was always the goal.
When I began researching what eventually became Given No Choice, I was less interested in political talking points than in recovering the stories that often disappear from public memory. I wanted to understand what abortion looked like before Roe, how physicians, activists, clergy members, lawyers, and ordinary women navigated the law, and how decades of legal and political conflict brought us to the present moment.
The project ultimately grew into a six-year investigation drawing on archival collections, oral histories, court records, legislative transcripts, television archives, and interviews with figures who participated directly in the struggle over reproductive rights.
The IndieReader review highlights many of those elements, including the book’s use of historical sources and interviews with influential figures connected to the reproductive rights movement. It also concludes that readers seeking to understand the origins of today’s abortion debates will find value in the book’s historical perspective.
Independent publishing often means building an audience one reader, one review, and one conversation at a time. Reviews like this help introduce the book to readers, librarians, educators, and researchers who may not otherwise encounter it.
For everyone who has purchased the book, requested it through a library, shared a recommendation, or helped spread the word, thank you. Recognition like this belongs not only to the author but to everyone who believes these stories deserve to be preserved and understood.
You can read the full IndieReader review here: