Tag: pro choice

Book Review: A Spark Of Light – Jodi Picoult

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A Spark of Light - Jodi Picoult

A normal morning changes multiple lives forever. After calls come in that a shooting has taken place in a Women’s Reproductive Health clinic, negotiator Hugh heads to the scene, what he doesn’t realise is that his 15-year-old daughter is one of the hostages.

I’ve been a Picoult fan for almost 10 years and devour her books when they come out. So, of course, I was itching to get my hands on a copy of her latest novel and as soon as I heard the subject matter I really wanted to see how she would tackle this topic. She isn’t afraid of taking on complicated issues.

As always, we are introduced to a wide range of characters, all of whom have their own complex backgrounds, thoughts and emotions. You see a snapshot into their worlds at that time. A doctor that works because of his faith, a nurse who cares for others no matter what, a pro-life campaigner caught in the crossfire, a woman who has chosen to have an abortion.

This novel is different from Picoult’s others in the way that it plays out, and initially, this threw me. This works backwards from the point of conflict to how the situation started. From this perspective, the novel was a little difficult to follow at times I was unclear who was who and how they were related for the first few chapters. So be aware of this is you are a die-hard Picoult fan.

I was lucky enough to receive an advance copy of the novel to read on my Kindle. I’m hoping that the final novel makes it more obvious when the narrative changes, but this is minor in relation to the novel itself. There is a richness within that shows so many perspectives and ultimately, this is a novel about choice.

I gave this novel 4 stars. I thought it was well written and showed an interesting perspective. As always I could have read another 300 pages about these characters, about their lives beyond the events of this novel. Of course, it broke my heart at times and I’m pretty sure it will for most people.

Thank you to the publisher, Netgalley and Jodi Picoult for this advanced copy. You can get your own copy on the 30th October!

 

Are you going to be picking up Jodi’s latest novel? Let me know in the comments below!

My Big Mouth: If it’s not your body, it’s not your decision.

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After watching the BBC3 Documentary on abortion in Ireland this week I decided that it was right to write this post. Despite abortion becoming legal in the 1960s in Britain, Northern Ireland decided that they did not want to partake in this. Getting an abortion in Northern Ireland is illegal, meaning many women resort to either trying to induce an abortion themselves or paying out to travel to England for the procedure.

When I was younger I didn’t understand why anyone would get an abortion, who didn’t want a baby? The older I got, however, I realised that the issue wasn’t as black and white as it seemed. For any woman getting pregnant brings anxieties, for someone who was desperately trying not to get pregnant it can be heart breaking because no matter how careful people are there is always a chance, which some people seem to forget. More often than not there is a stigma of an accidental pregnancy even though we’re all aware that condoms split, pills fail and there can be defective implants and yet women are still judged and in some parts of the world treated like criminals.

I’ve never had an abortion, I hope that I never have to. I do, however, have friends who have gone through a lot I’ve had friends who felt the only option they had was to have an abortion: I have friends who have had miscarriages and have to deal with that heart break, I have friends who continued with the pregnancy and others who can’t get pregnant at all. My point is that each woman is individual, they have their own thoughts, plans and having a child should not be forced upon them. I did research into the idea that it is ‘killing’ a child, apart from the foetus cannot feel pain at this point.

Do I think the limit should be lowered? Yes. I think that 20 weeks is too late for an abortion in my personal opinion, just because of the rate in which we can premature babies alive, this is one of the grey areas. That said, the majority of abortions happen way before this point when there is no change a foetus could have life as for a long time it is not a ‘baby’ as we see it, but cells. As harsh as I know that sounds it is the image of this perfect baby from conception which can lead women to reacting in a way they otherwise wouldn’t. This needs to be handled from a medical perspective, not one of emotions.

Which is why when I see protestors outside of abortion clinics or standing in the street yelling abuse and holding horrific pictures to women ,who frankly have enough going on without it, I get angry. Who are THEY to impose their beliefs on another persons body? I doubt there are any women who are happy to go through an abortion, it’s not pleasant and it’s nothing someone sets out to do. I don’t care what your religion says, it is that woman’s choice and often they are thinking of the implications of the sort of life a child would have at that time.

So yes, I am pro choice. I don’t think it’s anyone else’s business quite frankly and we do not need to shame a woman but let her live her life without shame, embarrassment and stigma.