An unflinching call for freedom by way of abortion rights.
"A story told with honesty. I thank Pam Houston for this timely and timeless book"
—CAMILLE T. DUNGY, Soil
Pam Houston tells the story of how her personal and professional life was powered by access to abortion. Alongside her own account, Houston examines the legal history of abortion and shines a bright light on the impact of reproductive rights on all American women during the days Roe v. Wade was the law of the land.
August 1, 2024
Writer Pam Houston's reproductive life coincided almost exactly with the 49 years during which a woman's right to have an abortion was protected in the U.S. She was 11 in 1973 when the U.S. Supreme Court ruled in favor of Jane Roe in Roe v. Wade. When Dobbs v. Jackson Women's Health Organization overturned women's right to safe abortions in 2022, Houston had entered menopause. In Without Exception, Houston explores her history with abortion access and the broader topics of freedom, autonomy, gender, and environmentalism. Structuring her book as 60 mini chapters that feel like meditations, Houston discusses her three abortions and the ways each decision point allowed her to define her life's direction. She highlights the evolution of the dialogue around abortion in the U.S., from protecting women to treating women as vessels for the unborn. With recurring themes of safety, freedom, and the lack thereof, Houston captures the urgency of our current moment in a country that is growing increasingly hostile to the rights of women and other traditionally marginalized groups.
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