In this resonant memoir, author Rönn shares the heartbreak of making the life-changing decision to terminate a pregnancy due to a chromosomal abnormality found in prenatal test results. “I loved the life that was growing inside my body,” she writes, and as she explores the wrenching choice that she faced, she also explores, with empathy and clarity, her feelings in the aftermath (“feeling sad didn’t mean that I regretted the abortion”), the urgency of love and support, and the politics and beliefs surrounding abortion rights in the U.S. and elsewhere. Rönn offers straight talk demystifying this often-taboo topic as an urgently necessary medical procedure, even late in a pregnancy, and the challenges of discussing this in the United States. Ultimately, she felt compelled to share her experience and “talk about abortion and normalize it as a fundamental part of women’s healthcare.”

That sense of calling shines through as Rönn provides frank and intimate details about the abortion process in a way that is informative and deeply personal to her own experience, while providing up-to-date data about abortions in the U.S., her home country of Sweden and other countries. "It’s not only the stigma against abortions that makes it difficult—restrictive laws and financial constraints also play a significant role,” Rönn writes. Blending her own story with the history of birth control clinics and the laws that determine and limit women's rights, Rönn provides insight that will open the door to hard conversations about abortion.

Rönn shares raw feelings of “disenfranchised grief” and the process of "grief work,” while also exploring guilt and feeling judged for her choice in the aftermath. A healing journey, a moving act of disclosure, and an impactful call-to-action powered by a visceral sense of mission, Behind Bulletproof Glass challenges the status quo and urges women to tell their stories. Rönn makes the case that breaking “this vicious circle of stigma, shame, and silence” demands talking about abortion.

Takeaway: Resonant memoir and call-to-action about daring to talk frankly about abortion.

Comparable Titles: Bonnie Brady's And That Was That, Meera Shah's You're The Only One I've Told.

Production grades
Cover: A
Design and typography: A
Illustrations: N/A
Editing: A
Marketing copy: A