Given No Choice

A sweeping narrative history of abortion rights in America — from whispered remedies and underground networks to the legal battles, activists, and political forces that shaped modern reproductive freedom.

For more than a century, the fight for abortion access has been told in fragments — court cases, headlines, protests, and political battles that rarely capture the human story underneath. Given No Choice brings those pieces together. Drawing on archival research, rare interviews, oral histories, legislative transcripts, and firsthand accounts, Cody McDevitt weaves an urgent, intimate, and deeply human history of how abortion rights were won, lost, and defended across generations.

From midwives and discreet physicians operating in the shadows, to the women forced into dangerous decisions, to the organizers and attorneys who risked livelihoods to challenge the law, this book lays bare the truth: abortion in America has never been just a medical issue — it has always been a struggle for autonomy, dignity, and power.

Inside this groundbreaking book, readers will discover:

• The hidden networks that allowed women to access abortions long before Roe v. Wade

• How politicians, judges, and religious movements reshaped reproductive law

• The real stories of women harmed — and sometimes saved — by the choices available to them

• The rise of the anti-abortion movement and the strategies it still uses today

• Exclusive interviews with doctors, activists, and legal experts who witnessed the fight firsthand

• What the post-Roe landscape reveals about the future of reproductive freedom

Blending investigative journalism with narrative nonfiction, Given No Choice offers a definitive, unflinching account of one of the most consequential civil rights battles of our time.

A vital book for anyone who wants to understand how we got here — and what comes next.

Perfect for readers of Reproductive Rights Today, The Family Roe, After Roe, and The New Handbook for a Post-Roe America, this book is both a historical document and a call to remain vigilant as the future of bodily autonomy hangs in the balance.

Cody McDevitt is an award-winning journalist, historian, playwright, and author known for bringing overlooked and complex histories to life. He is the author of Given No Choice: A History of Abortion Rights, a sweeping narrative grounded in archival documents, interviews, and legal records that traces the long struggle for reproductive freedom in the United States. His previous books include Banished from Johnstown, a deeply reported history of racial expulsion in Western Pennsylvania, and Pittsburgh Drinks, a cultural history of the region's cocktail and spirits scene.McDevitt's journalism and nonfiction writing combine investigative depth with narrative storytelling, illuminating the human experiences behind major social and legal shifts. Alongside his books, he is developing plays and screenplays based on true events, including the stories of Dr. Aleck Bourne, Joan Malleson, and the Rosedale Banishment.He shares ongoing research and commentary through his newsletter, Repro Rights Now, and continues to work on new book, theatre, and film projects. He lives in Pennsylvania.