Giving Sorrow Words

Women’s Stories of Grief After Abortion

by Melinda Tankard Reist

“I wish someone had said, ‘There would be losses having a baby, but don’t underestimate the loss of having an abortion.'” -Lee

Abortion has been presented as a simple procedure that allows women to put the crisis of an unintended pregnancy behind them. The women in this book were told they’d be able to get on with their lives after abortion. But their lives would never be the same.

Now published for the first time in the U.S., Giving Sorrow Words includes the personal accounts of 18 women who have had abortions and draws on the experiences of more than 200 others. These women share their stories of personal suffering and loss-stories that have often gone unheard in a society eager to dismiss abortion-related trauma.

Australian journalist and women’s rights advocate Melinda Tankard Reist examines the experiences of women, including the lack of resources and support, the misinformation and lack of informed consent, and the intense pressure and coercion applied by partners, families, and society in general to force women into unwanted abortions.”Giving Sorrow Words gives voice to women who have been silenced too long, those who have experienced abortion. Their grief is a sign of the wrenching pain this procedure has imposed over the decades.”

–Frederica Mathewes-Green, Author, Real Choices: Listening to Women, Looking for Alternatives to Abortion

“A powerful book. . . . It refuses to accept oversimplified explanations or solutions to abortion. The time has come to stop ignoring the devastating consequences for all.”

— Margaret Hrvatin, LISW

Read excerpts from Giving Sorrow Words:

Excerpt 1: “This Wasn’t Really Counseling At All”
Excerpt 2: Disclosure and Coercion
Excerpt 3: “They Didn’t Prepare Me for the Horror”
Excerpt 4: “A Conspiracy of Silence”

Ordering Information

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