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This Common Secret: My Journey as an Abortion Doctor
by Susan Wicklund

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<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/1175376.This_Common_Secret_My_Journey_as_an_Abortion_Doctor?utm_medium=api&amp;utm_source=blog_review" style="float: left; padding-right: 20px"><img alt="This Common Secret: My Journey as an Abortion Doctor" border="0" src="http://s3.amazonaws.com/photo.goodreads.com/books/1181648171m/1175376.jpg" /></a> <a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/1175376.This_Common_Secret_My_Journey_as_an_Abortion_Doctor?utm_medium=api&utm_source=blog_review">This Common Secret: My Journey as an Abortion Doctor</a> by <a href="http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/573666.Susan_Wicklund">Susan Wicklund</a> 
 <a href="http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/12373907?utm_medium=api&utm_source=blog_review"><h3>My review</h3></a>
 rating: 5 of 5 stars This story exposes all the grays. 
 
 I'm so happy this book was written, yet am sad that it had to be. Whether we like it or not, abortions have always been around. 
 
 This is the story of one abortion provider. She treats women in the midwest and west, areas of the country that face challenges to abortion that I'm not used to thinking about, living here in NY. 
 
 I am a pro-choice, feminist activist, just to lay that out on the line. I was actually a little put off by some of the boundaries that the doctor drew in her life. For example, not performing abortions after 14 weeks, and intense questioning of the patient before determining if she really meant what she said, and therefore wouldn't be turned away. I'll admit it. These are areas where I like to see black and white. If a woman wants an abortion, she should get it, as far as I'm concerned. I don't care how far along she is or what her reasons are. I'll allow that some women regret it afterwards, but, why turn someone away because there is a possibility of "making that mistake?" With freedom comes the freedom to make mistakes. That's life. 
 
 But this book doesn't just stop at exposing the "typical" grays, that abortion can be a hard choice, and that no one can really walk in another woman's shoes. 
 
 No, this book exposes ALL the grays. The grays of the abortion provider. The grays of the protesters. The grays of performing a job which is more intensely stressful than any job I could personally handle. It's 100 percent real. And everyone should read it. 
 
 It's really quite excellent at getting people to realize that they really can't, and shouldn't judge, the choices of others. 
 
 It's a quick read, divided into 14 chapters. The anecdotal stories are supported with compelling evidence. It neatly stops and starts with an elderly woman figure, but in drastically different circumstances, so the reader feels satisfied and not left hanging, even though, as the afterward points out, the story hasn't come close to ending. 
 
 Thank goodness there are people like Susan Wicklund out there. Her bravery astounds me. 
 <a href="http://www.goodreads.com/review/list/589556?utm_medium=api&utm_source=blog_review">View all my reviews.</a>

Leenacia's review
rating:
bookshelves: memoirs, non-fiction

This story exposes all the grays.

I'm so happy this book was written, yet am sad that it had to be. Whether we like it or not, abortions have always been around.

This is the story of one abortion provider. She treats women in the midwest and west, areas of the country that face challenges to abortion that I'm not used to thinking about, living here in NY.

I am a pro-choice, feminist activist, just to lay that out on the line. I was actually a little put off by some of the boundaries that the doctor drew in her life. For example, not performing abortions after 14 weeks, and intense questioning of the patient before determining if she really meant what she said, and therefore wouldn't be turned away. I'll admit it. These are areas where I like to see black and white. If a woman wants an abortion, she should get it, as far as I'm concerned. I don't care how far along she is or what her reasons are. I'll allow that some women regret it afterwards, but, why turn someone away bec...more This story exposes all the grays.

I'm so happy this book was written, yet am sad that it had to be. Whether we like it or not, abortions have always been around.

This is the story of one abortion provider. She treats women in the midwest and west, areas of the country that face challenges to abortion that I'm not used to thinking about, living here in NY.

I am a pro-choice, feminist activist, just to lay that out on the line. I was actually a little put off by some of the boundaries that the doctor drew in her life. For example, not performing abortions after 14 weeks, and intense questioning of the patient before determining if she really meant what she said, and therefore wouldn't be turned away. I'll admit it. These are areas where I like to see black and white. If a woman wants an abortion, she should get it, as far as I'm concerned. I don't care how far along she is or what her reasons are. I'll allow that some women regret it afterwards, but, why turn someone away because there is a possibility of "making that mistake?" With freedom comes the freedom to make mistakes. That's life.

But this book doesn't just stop at exposing the "typical" grays, that abortion can be a hard choice, and that no one can really walk in another woman's shoes.

No, this book exposes ALL the grays. The grays of the abortion provider. The grays of the protesters. The grays of performing a job which is more intensely stressful than any job I could personally handle. It's 100 percent real. And everyone should read it.

It's really quite excellent at getting people to realize that they really can't, and shouldn't judge, the choices of others.

It's a quick read, divided into 14 chapters. The anecdotal stories are supported with compelling evidence. It neatly stops and starts with an elderly woman figure, but in drastically different circumstances, so the reader feels satisfied and not left hanging, even though, as the afterward points out, the story hasn't come close to ending.

Thank goodness there are people like Susan Wicklund out there. Her bravery astounds me. ...less

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message 1: by Trevor

01/13/2008 06:02PM

"With freedom comes the freedom to make mistakes. That's life."
--Wow--If you don't mind, I'm going to lift this from you and add it to my repertoire. Truer words have never been spoken! Great review.