📚—Book Review— 📚
Title: Take My Hand
Author: Dolen Perkins-Valdez
Publisher: Berkley
Genre: Historical Fiction
A historical fiction novel inspired by true events, but with the recent overturn of Roe v. Wade I feel like this is such a timely novel and could almost fall under current events! So much of it felt relevant to today’s world still.
Take My Hand tells us a story through the eyes of nurse Civil Townsend. In 1973 she was fresh out of nursing school and ready to make a difference in the world, especially in her African American community. Deep in the south of Montgomery, AL she takes a job at a Family Planning Clinic because she is passionate and hopefully in helping women make their own choices with their lives and bodies.
But, her very first case takes her out on dirt roads to the country and to a shanty with her new patients Erica and India. She is shocked to learn they are only 11 and 13 years old and being put on birth control! When neither has even kissed a boy…
Of course, a nurse never forget their first patients and Civil falls hard for these girls. After some unthinkable events resulting in court cases; Civil struggles with her role as the girl’s nurse. As she reaches retirement age she finally takes a trip home to come to peace with this time period in her life.
“These were my decisions. There is no greater right for a woman than have a choice. And I exercised that right. Fully and consciously.”
Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ I really loved the this book! The subject matter is touching, difficult, timely, and very very important. Not quite a five star for me because the book was just too much of a telling story. I need to visualize more. I absolutely can’t wait to discuss this later with @bookfriendsbookclub I know we will have a deep and respectful conversation! I love our book talks.
CW: abortion, sterilization, use of word ‘retarded’ - however it was in the 1973 timeline and I believe the author was being accurate for the timeline. Trust me this word bothers me!