Comics for Choice

Abortion is addressed as a political flash point, a personal journey, and a cultural battleground in this powerful anthology. Its diverse nonfiction comics pieces range from the triumphant to the traumatic, and editors Newlevant (No Ivy League) and Taylor (Ghost Stories) ensure no story is dismissed as unworthy: Jane, the underground abortion referral service operated by Chicago feminists in the early 1970s, is celebrated, but this volume also includes many experiences of abuse, discrimination, and cultural bias. Families disapprove, shame weighs heavily, and politicians seek to oppress. Yet hope endures, kindled by the tireless work of activists, lawyers, and everyday citizens. Sophia Foster-Dimino’s intimately drawn memoir piece, “Small Mistakes Make Big Problems”—which encompasses years of struggling with a depression that deepens after she chooses to have an abortion in the context of a dysfunctional relationship—is a particular high point, as is Renee Bracey Sherman and Kennedy Tarrell’s paean to personal choice. The book is at once a rallying cry, a tender lament, and song of liberation that will resonate long after the final page is turned. [em](Feb.) [/em]