Counting Backwards: A Novel

Imagine being forced to accept medical sterilization or deportation? These are the two options faced by the inmates at the US Immigration and Customs Enforcement Detention Center in Hydeford, New Jersey. When up-and-coming attorney Jessa Gidney agrees to pro bono work for some of the incarcerated women, she quickly uncovers an alarming secret challenging these women’s citizenship rights and reproductive freedom.

This is especially triggering for Jessa, who has suffered a miscarriage on her journey to pregnancy.  But the more time she spends with the women, the more she’s convinced this is her calling. When she presents the idea of a class action suit to the partners, it results in a leave of absence. With a cloud of failure hanging over her, the unspoken truth is that if she fails, her entanglement will once again bode poorly for the firm. Her husband, Vance, views this time off as an opportunity for her to rest and focus on building a family. But Jessa’s not willing to give up her fight, especially when she uncovers a family secret that echoes the nightmare of these women. And one that puts her career and marriage on the line. 

The story jumps back and forth in perspective between Jessa’s and Carrie Buck’s, a poor, uneducated woman from Virginia, whose tragic tale intertwines with Jessa’s future. The fictional story of two women separated by generations is cleverly written, incorporating history, politics, religion, and women’s advocacy. Though tethered by society’s expectations, each woman somehow finds the courage to advocate for change and fight for their future. 

An engrossing and uplifting story that serves as a poignant reminder that progress doesn’t always result in positive change. And may I say, it’s another homerun for best-selling author Jacqueline Friedland—a captivating women’s fiction that’s politically relevant and heart-touching. 

Source and Image Courtesy of PR By the Book and HarperCollins