You might assume abortion has always been a partisan issue, but this is not so. In the 1960s and ’70s, Blumenthal writes, “attitudes toward abortion tended to be determined more by one’s religion than by one’s political affiliation.” Even religious denominations were not monolithic. Many congregations saw abortion “as a medical problem, not a religious or political issue,” according to Blumenthal, and people of faith helped thousands of women obtain illegal abortions.

Blumenthal writes with a strong, clear and engaging tone, and I found myself swept up in the back story of Roe. We learn about Norma McCorvey, the pregnant plaintiff known as Jane Roe, who lost custody of her first child, was devastated when she gave up her second for adoption, and didn’t want to face either outcome with her third pregnancy. We meet her young, passionate female lawyers and the overworked attorneys on the opposing side; and we glimpse the personalities of the Supreme Court justices who will decide the law of the land on this contentious issue.

Blumenthal’s portrayal respects nuance. Martha Scott, a “Jane” who assisted with abortions in Chicago, said, “One would have to be very hardhearted not to think that it’s too bad that this has to happen.” And Jay Floyd, an attorney who defended Texas’ restrictive laws, was “opposed to abortion” while working on the case but conceded, “I also feel women ought to have a choice.” Blumenthal reports on the shifting positions of the American Medical Association; Presidents Ronald Reagan, George H. W. Bush and Trump; and even the woman named in Roe.

“Jane Against the World” reads, at times, like a legal thriller. I kept reminding myself, “Wait, I know how this ends.”

Yet ultimately, Blumenthal leaves readers in suspense. If Roe is overturned, as many as 20 states could outlaw abortion or severely restrict it. The reader is left to contemplate the possibility of women losing control of a choice that will profoundly affect their health, families, livelihoods and futures. One wishes Blumenthal had delved into the reality of parenthood in the United States today, where roughly 15 million children live in poverty and large numbers of families struggle to find affordable child care.