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WOW! Jacqueline Friedland, the Author of “Counting Backwards” has written a powerful, intense, thought-provoking and memorable novel. I love that the author has written and discussed controversial and mind-boggling subjects. In this exceptionally, well written novel, the author discusses the topics of eugenics, immigration laws, women’s reproductive rights, and the demands and expectations of women in society. The story is told in the past and present timeline. The Genres for this novel are: Historical Fiction, Women’s Historical Fiction, Contemporary Fiction, Domestic and Family Fiction, and Legal Thriller. Jacqueline Friedland vividly describes her dramatic characters as complex and complicated. The women in this story are courageous and brave.
In Virginia, in 1927, Carrie Buck is in the foster care system and finds herself in a a dangerous situation. As a ward of the state, Carrie isn’t able to finish the sixth grade, and becomes part of one of the largest legal battles. In 2022, in New York, Jessa Gidney wants it all. She wants to be partners in a prominent law firm. Jessa is married, and has been trying to get pregnant. When the partnership doesn’t materialize she finds herself involved working pro-bono for an ICE detention center. The women who are imprisoned have been trying to get their citizenship, and if they cause any problems they can be deported at any time. As Jessa investigates, and fights for these women, she discovers a deep dark secret in her own family. This past secret leads Jessa to the path of Carrie Buck.
I am impressed with the amount of historical research that the author has done. Jacqueline Friedland has opened the doors and my eyes to dark tragic history and issues of women. It is hard to justify the horrors and tragedies that women had and have to face. This is an important and powerful read that I highly recommend for others to read.
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