In Trouble (Amazon) by Ellen Levine is a book about dealing with teenage pregnancy in the 50's. Girls who get pregnant out of wedlock are shamed to no end, and many resort to desperate measures to get rid of their child. The ones who don't want to get rid of their child through termination of the pregnancy are often sent to group homes, where they make you change your name and give up the child. Now, In Trouble isn't all about teen pregnancy-it's also about McCarthy era politics and a family torn apart by one of their members being accused of being a communist.Honestly, at first I wasn't a big fan of the book-it felt like Ellen Levine went to some extreme lengths to set up the setting. However, as the book progressed, I forgot about that, and paid more attention to the story. I have to say, I loved it. I honestly think anyone who has an opinion on contraception or abortion or really anything having to do with reproductive rights of women should read this book. I don't think it will change anyone's mind, but I think that understanding the difficult position some people are in when deciding whether or not to terminate a pregnancy or give a child up for adoption is very important. I think Ellen Levine does a pretty good job of conveying the hopelessness and overall confusion of the situation for a young girl.
She has contact information! Here's my email:
"I just finished In Trouble (through netgalley.com) and I wanted to let you know that I really enjoyed it. I think you did a remarkable job of portraying girls struggling with teen pregnancy. In Trouble is a book I think anyone with a stance on women's reproductive rights should read. Good luck with all of your future projects!"
This book will be out in September.
An author reply will be posted later today! See you then!
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