Crusaders: Voices from the Abortion Front

Publishers Weekly - Publisher's Weekly

Faux ( Roe v . Wade ) here chronicles the recent history of abortion law debate in portraits of prime movers and camp followers of pro-life and and pro-choice factions. Although allying herself with the latter, she accurately covers events surrounding the Webster v . Reproductive Health Services lawsuit, decided by the U.S. Supreme Court in 1989, and considered a victory for pro-life forces for ``allowing the states to pass some restrictive laws'' on abortion. Under scrutiny are lawyer Frank Sussman, who argued the pro-choice cause in the case; Randall Terry, chief of Operation Rescue which had blockaded abortion clinics and harassed their clients and staff; B. J. Isaacson, director of Reproductive Health Services, an abortion clinic; ``foot soldier'' Moira Bentson, a factotum for Terry; Vernice Miller, a political organizer serving the pro-choice cause; and former nun Frances Kissling, head of Catholics for a Free Choice. Faux's account is a cool-headed, sometimes plodding, perhaps overly optimistic appeal for compromise in the abortion controversy. (July)

Library Journal

Faux, who provided a case-study analysis in Roe v. Wade: The Untold Story of the Landmark Supreme Court Decision That Made Abortion Legal ( LJ 6/1/88), here has a more personal focus: she spotlights six major activists who played important roles in the 1989 Supreme Court case on abortion, Webster v . Reproductive Health Services . She presents insightful analyses of both pro-life and pro-choice activists' motives and ideas. Abortion remains a central emotional issue for many population segments, Faux argues, and she explores areas of future conflicts, such as Russell Terry's Operation Rescue, which stops abortions by blocking abortion clinic entrances. This is a thoughtful study that explores the underlying dimensions of abortion politics; recommended for subject collections.--Steven Puro, St. Louis Univ.