On April 13th we met at my home to discuss Janet's book
"My Notorious Life" by Kate Manning.
It has been a while but I remember Kathy, Madeleine, Sarah, Donna,
and Janet attending.
This was the first time the chooser admitted to not liking
her choice. This was the story of Axie Muldoon, an Irish Orphan who
against all odds rises from rags to riches in 19th century
New York. She apprentices as a midwife/abortionist and
becomes very successful and notorious in her field.
Her husband a very enterprising orphan himself starts a
mail order business selling abortion pills, French
letters and related items.
Abortion was against the law but not enforced till one
crusader made Axie his special project. She serves prison
time and eventually moves to London where she continues
to ply her trade.
We had discussion on the morality of the abortions and its
timing and learned that women had very few rights then
and no voice in how to solve their own problems.
It was an age old story of women's struggles to gain control of
basic rights. This was historical fiction loosely based on an
abortionist named Ann Lohman who is not very well known.
Madeleiene chose a book by Fredrik Backman entitled,
"A Man Called Ove" which is a charming debut novel about
a curmudgeon. We chose May 18th to be the next date.
