Add BookmarkThis Common Secret: My Journey as an Abortion Doctor
In This Common Secret Dr. Susan Wicklund chronicles her emotional and dramatic twenty-year career on the front lines of the abortion war. Growing up in working class, rural Wisconsin, Wicklund had her own painful abortion at a young age. It was not until she became a doctor that she realized how many women shared her ordeal of an unwanted pregnancy—and how hidden this common experience remains.
This is the story of Susan's love for a profession that means listening to women... (show more)
In This Common Secret Dr. Susan Wicklund chronicles her emotional and dramatic twenty-year career on the front lines of the abortion war. Growing up in working class, rural Wisconsin, Wicklund had her own painful abortion at a young age. It was not until she became a doctor that she realized how many women shared her ordeal of an unwanted pregnancy—and how hidden this common experience remains.
This is the story of Susan's love for a profession that means listening to women and helping them through one of the most pivotal and controversial events in their lives. Hers is also a calling that means sleeping on planes and commuting between clinics in different states—and that requires her to wear a bulletproof vest and to carry a .38 caliber revolver. This is also the story of the women whom Susan serves, women whose options are increasingly limited.
Through these intimate, complicated, and inspiring accounts, Wicklund reveals the truth about the women's clinics that anti-abortion activists portray as little more than slaughterhouses for the unborn. As we enter the most fevered political fight over abortion America has ever seen, this raw and powerful memoir shows us what is at stake. (show less)
Related Media
Photo Gallery
Similar Books
You might like these
Reviews (See all 61) Write a reviewfor this
-
In reading other reviews listed here on facebook, I see that I join a selected few in that I am of the male species who has read this book. So, hopefully my "outside" view will add to the opinions. In today's day and age, I thought that the facts regarding abortion and the procedure itself is more commonly understood amongst the college-aged society, but upon discussing abortion with a female college graduate friend of mine, and hearing her opinions on abortion, I was amazed that ... (show more)
In reading other reviews listed here on facebook, I see that I join a selected few in that I am of the male species who has read this book. So, hopefully my "outside" view will add to the opinions. In today's day and age, I thought that the facts regarding abortion and the procedure itself is more commonly understood amongst the college-aged society, but upon discussing abortion with a female college graduate friend of mine, and hearing her opinions on abortion, I was amazed that she didn't understand the abortion procedure whatsoever. And surprisingly, everything she said coincided with what "pro-life" organizations attempt to persuade and say. Such as, abortion scars you within and prevents you from pregnancy in the future, and that the procedure itself is "major surgery". Although, I learned a great deal about abortion in college, I learned the thoughts and beliefs of pregnant women in need of an abortion due to an unwanted pregnancy, rape, incest, etc. If anyone has ever been pregnant, undergone an abortion, or simply wants a better and accurate understanding of this procedure, I highly recommend it. It's also a good read. If anything, I learned what pro-life organizations are willing to do. (show less)
Already read
-
I saw this author and book on Rachel Maddow after Dr. Tiller was murdered. I'm glad I picked it up. I was a child during the mid-1990s rash of abortion clinic bombings and provider murders so it's been easy for me to be somewhat blase towards abortion rights. Dr. Wicklund's (and her family's) experiences prove otherwise. This book both reaffirmed my belief that the majority of Americans support access to abortion and terrified me in that most of these Americans are generally unwilling to be v... (show more)
I saw this author and book on Rachel Maddow after Dr. Tiller was murdered. I'm glad I picked it up. I was a child during the mid-1990s rash of abortion clinic bombings and provider murders so it's been easy for me to be somewhat blase towards abortion rights. Dr. Wicklund's (and her family's) experiences prove otherwise. This book both reaffirmed my belief that the majority of Americans support access to abortion and terrified me in that most of these Americans are generally unwilling to be vocal about their beliefs, even while a vocal (and often dangerous) minority is allowed to let their beliefs infiltrate our laws and society.
As a relatively new clinic escort, I appreciated the distinction she made between local activists protesting abortion due to deeply held religious beliefs. (I mean, I also believe that a lot of these protesters are operating on misinformation and flawed moral logic but I digress) and the more scary "professional" protesters intent on causing physical and psychological harm to women and doctors.
Not to be a Debbie Downer, but I would have gotten through this book quicker if the writing was a little better. I mean obviously, the point of this book wasn't to create a literary masterpiece but I did find it perhaps needlessly melodramatic at times. (show less)
Already read
- See all reviews
Lists
This book has been added to these lists:
More Stuff
About Us
LivingSocial.com is a social discovery and cataloging network that allows people to review and share their favorite movies, books, games, music, restaurants and beer
