Intimate Wars: The Life and Times of the Woman Who Brought Abortion from the Back Alley to the Board Room

by Merle Hoffman

Merle Hoffman's life story is riveting. A former classical pianist, a self-made millionaire, and a feminist who found her life's work providing abortions, she has been a fearless crusader for women's right to choose.

Over the years, Hoffman has used her entrepreneurial spirit to build one of the most comprehensive women's medical centers in the country. In 1971 (two years before the Roe v. Wade Supreme Court decision to legalize abortion nationally), Hoffman founded Choices, an abortion clinic in New York. As a medical provider, she pioneered "patient power," encouraging women to participate in their own health care decisions. And going against even her own expectations for her life after fifty, she adopted a child and writes about her experience as a mother.

Whether addressing the murder of abortion providers like Dr. George Tiller or challenging women to understand their own power over their bodies and the language used to wield such power, Merle Hoffman has been on the front lines of the feminist movement, a fierce warrior in the battle for choice.

Merle Hoffman is an award-winning journalist, activist, and women's health care pioneer. In 1971, she founded Choices, one of the first ambulatory abortion centers, which has become one of the nation's largest and most comprehensive women's medical facilities in the United States. She is also the publisher of On the Issues, an online feminist magazine.

Genres: History, Feminism, Nonfiction, Womens, Memoir, Politics, Biography

269 pages, Paperback

First published January 10, 2012

About the author

Merle Hoffman is an award-winning journalist, activist, and women's health care pioneer. In 1971, she founded CHOICES, one of the first ambulatory abortion centers, which has become one of the nation's largest and most comprehensive women's medical facilities in the US. She is also the publisher of On the Issues, an online feminist magazine.

Reviews

[A.R. McKenna · Rating 5 out of 5]

Even though the book infuriated me from time to time (not Merle's fault, but the violence and hate from the anti-women crusaders), I loved it so much. I loved reading about the activism, the politics, and the movement to legalize abortion and to keep it that way from a pioneering women herself. Merle writes with purpose and intelligence, and isn't afraid to share her worst moments alongside her best ones.

Reading this book is just another reminder that feminism's work isn't done.Women's rights are constantly under attack, especially this year. There are many people out there who'd rather see women die from an unsafe abortion than see women go through with a safe legal abortion. That is horrifying and frightening. Like Merle says in her book, these "pro-lifers" give the fetus more rights than a woman, who is overlooked and put to shame.

There were times in the book where reality was just too surreal-the deaths of physicians who performed abortions, the closing of clinics by fanatical pro-lifers. Yet this is real life. This book was personal to me as a feminist. I loved that Merle distinguished the ignorance of race in the discussion of other feminists and included it in her practice and work. Merle knows that discrimination against these minorities exist, especially when it comes to government and healthcare. It was really awesome how she covered gay and lesbian issues in her magazine On The Issues, where she even covered animal rights.

It was also upsetting for me to read how so many people tried to bring her down. It's not surprising she met so much adversity and opposition, of course. In the end, though, it just made her a stronger fighter.

I highly recommend this book for fellow feminists and anyone interested in women's rights and human rights. Because women's rights ARE human rights.

[Linda · Rating 3 out of 5]

The abortion history parts of this book are really good. (4-star worthy, even.) The memoir parts are less good. Overall, it is a decent read, and it is fascinating to contemplate the b.s. involved in abortion politics, and how much women are subjugated, even in abortion politics. You know, if you haven't contemplated those things.

[Kaitlyn · Rating 4 out of 5]

"'I would want to keep this pregnancy, if only...' I learned that it is in the "if only" that the reality of abortion resides. It's there in the vast expanse of a lived life--the sum of experience, the pull of attachment, the pain of ambivalence. "If only" is a theme with thousands of variations."

This was an interesting book: a mix of memoir, history of the author's activism, and some historical components of abortion and the pro-choice movement.

I really had a hard time with this book, because the historical components of this book were wonderful. I really wish this book was just about the history of abortion and the author's experience in working in providing abortions and counseling women. However, I hated the memoir parts. The author, while doing important work and advocating for women, is not a great person. And I had a hard time reading through her life and her questionable choices (i.e. hiring doctors who were previously suspended, having affairs, etc.)

[Tina · Rating 4 out of 5]

It was interesting to get the insights of someone inside the abortion industry. The book was well written and encouraged the reader to think deeply about the issue. There were times when I felt that Merle's perspective was too biased and wished for a more balanced view. However, I was impressed with how rare these were. I would recommend this book if you are interested in feminism or abortion.

[Gemini · Rating 5 out of 5]

WOW!! This author is so inspiring! What a book! I had no idea who she was & all the amazing things she accomplished until I read this book. How did I know nothing about how much she did for the movement? I just can't believe all the things that happened over the years in order to get women access to reproductive healthcare. All the barriers that she experienced were simply awful & pretty damn ridiculous. The fact that she had to deal w/ so much opposition from so many people & groups everywhere made it super difficult to get what she wanted done to help women. The struggles she went through was simply an uphill battle that was completely unnecessary & obviously conspiracies against her & the work she was doing. She charged forth & moved forward by almost going bankrupt due to all the barriers she faced over & over again. The endurance she showed & being able to have people support her wasn't easy but she still persevered. She was able to inspire people everywhere, not just in NY. Thankfully she was able to do so much & help thousands of women over the years. She should be honored.

[Casey · Rating 3 out of 5]

The information about the history of abortion in the US was very good, but the author's life, especially before starting CHOICES, left a bad taste in my mouth. She brags about being poor during her youth, but she is able to fly out to Europe at the drop of a hat, which tells me that she never really knew what it was like to be poor. Even later in life, she discusses how she was using all of her money keeping the clinic open, but then she went globe-hopping on the next page.

[Robyn · Rating 1 out of 5]

Memoirs are tricky. They can teeter on narcissism - and go downhill quickly. Alas, I think this is what happens with Hoffman's story. Every sentence has an "I", "me", or "my." Even if someone's story could be interesting, it quickly becomes monotonous if it is completely self-involved.

[Eric · Rating 3 out of 5]

Really liked the writings on the movement. Far less interested in her memoir outside of her career

[Rosa · Rating 2 out of 5]

Woman advocate and founder of abortion clinic. Sort of delusional.

[Sarah · Rating 4 out of 5]

Okay, just because the author i a pro-choice crusader who set up an abortion clinic that did 20,000 abortions a year doesn't mean I have to dislike her. I went into this book with an open mind, but when she had affairs with three married man in the first 50 pages, I started to really have a hard time sympathizing with her. And then she describes doing unethical things at her clinic – she describes how she didn't pay her taxes, how she committed Medicaid fraud, and she shows no remorse for any of these things, and then when a woman dies at her clinic and another Doctor gets indicted for carving his initials into the womb of one woman he operated on (really) she makes excuses for that too. She admits the hiring doctors who had a history of substance abuse and malpractice, and justifies it by saying they deserved a second chance. She struck me as being a very selfish person, she really seemed only be out for her own personal gain. I did learn a lot from this book though – I felt like I got a good sense of what motivated her, and while she did have an ideological desire to provide abortions that were safe and healthy for women, she did seem to be motivated at least partly by money. She casually talks about making her first million dollars and having bought more than one mansion and a stable full of horses. I know she probably didn't pay her clinic workers anywhere near which she made of abortion. I'm still giving this book 4 stars though, because it was interesting and it to give me a good sense of who she was although wasn't a very positive portrayal of an abortion provider, regardless of what she intended when she wrote the book.

[Chloe · Rating 2 out of 5]

This felt like a memoir written by someone still loving or it - or with something to prove or reconcile and not the work of a writer with enough distance to have reflection. There is more I hoped to learn about the history of the reproductive health movement that this book did not touch. But the moments when she shared the details of running such a health center are interesting, and the overall history of the reproductive rights movement - from her particular vantage - unique.

[Ruth · Rating 1 out of 5]

What was I expecting from an author who subtitles her autobiography "The Life and Times of the Woman who Brought Abortion from the Back Alley to the Board Room"? Talk about a self-congratulatory diatribe!!! Yikes. Pity because I was really interested to understand some of the history of the abortion issue as it's evolved over the past 60 years in the USA in the hopes of better grasping why it's still such a "flash" issue politically.

[Priti · Rating 5 out of 5]

I pretty much highlighted the entire book. Merle Hoffman not only fought for abortion rights in the United States, but also advocated for patients. It's an amazing read and her accomplishments are IMO some of the most important in this country.

[Marie · Rating 5 out of 5]

it is good

[Mary · Rating 4 out of 5]

A good catalyst for discussion--definitely thought-provoking.

[Rachel · Rating 2 out of 5]

I couldn't get into this book and gave up after skimming/skipping the first several chapters.

[Lee · Rating 2 out of 5]

Read half. History interesting, but woman irritating.

[Nima · Rating 3 out of 5]

The history of abortion was quite interesting, the biographical information less so. I would highly recommend it if only for the history.

[Morgan Wendling · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was stunned to find out the hate crimes that have taken place more recently than I was aware of.

[Celia · Rating 4 out of 5]

Enlightening!