Biology Lessons, by Melissa Kantor

In the wake of the repeal of Roe v Wade, Kantor decided to write this novel which depicts the story of a seventeen year-old Texan girl named Grace who becomes pregnant and has to negotiate her options.  Unwilling to give up her career aspirations and facing a hostile family situation that makes it impossible to reveal her condition, she chooses to have an abortion and then faces the gauntlet of trying to find a means to terminate her pregnancy.  

While vaguely aware of the current state of abortion access in Texas (a.k.a. none at all), she quickly comes up-to-speed.  But she's a smart girl and determined to find a way to get the procedure.  Along the way, she faces the paucity of good resources, falling for a fake crisis center at one point.  But she eventually discovers an underground group that helps her travel to New Mexico where abortion is still legal.  Amidst all of these practical challenges, the story finds time to encompass Grace's emotional journey as well.

Kantor dispenses with any suspenseful moments or dramatics and you won't find some showdown with Grace's parents or the boyfriend.  While Grace has moments of great fear and moments of danger, Kantor has opted for a quiet matter-of-fact story where one things leads to another.  That lack of "action" ought to make the book rather dull, but the simple facts of Grace's circumstances are really interesting enough to keep the reader engaged and the authenticity of Grace's emotions makes her character compelling.  By not dramatizing things, the book is probably more effective as an instructional work.  Regardless of the fictional characters, the story is extensively researched and factual.  It reads as non-fiction, making it a useful resource if it falls into the right hands.  It probably also guarantees that the book will be banned in the places where it would be most helpful.