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A review by readswithcocktails
The Unplanned Life of Josie Hale by Stephanie Eding
medium-paced
3.0
This book was fine. But it did make me think about the conversation thats been happening (again) about whether or not books are political. This book is trying so so hard to be inoffensive and apolitical. And yet, it is expressing a political stance. Sometimes saying nothing says a lot.
Reproductive Rights:
There are two pregnant women in this book. Neither is in a good place to raise a child. We don't see either woman weigh her options in a state that allows for access to abortion care up until viability. Having the child is a valid choice, as is accessing abortion. Even though timing is bad, its clear Josie wants this baby. But the fact that she doesn't consider abortion and say its not the right choice for her is a political move on the part of the author. This is even more true for Josie's student who is pregnant. She lists adoption as a possible option, but not abortion.
Body Acceptance/Fat Liberation
We all feel some kind of way about changes that happen to our bodies. And, while I havent been pregnant, I know the changes that happen can be jarring. But Josie's negative self-talk about changes in her body and her friend Ellie's diet talk are not interrupted. Diet culture and the prefernce for thinness in our society are probably things we don't even notice if we haven't been actively working to interrupt them. However, they have connections to purity cultire and white supremacy. Talking about these things and not interrupting them is also a political choice.
Gender Identity
There is constant speculation abour Josie's baby's gender. Josie has been dreaming of the gender reveal party she would throw when she eventually became pregnant. Once Josie does find out the baby's sex, she starts talking about onesies that say "Mama's Little Man" and making everything blue. The binary is part of how we're socialized, but sticking to that narrative is also a political stance.
Reproductive Rights:
There are two pregnant women in this book. Neither is in a good place to raise a child. We don't see either woman weigh her options in a state that allows for access to abortion care up until viability. Having the child is a valid choice, as is accessing abortion. Even though timing is bad, its clear Josie wants this baby. But the fact that she doesn't consider abortion and say its not the right choice for her is a political move on the part of the author. This is even more true for Josie's student who is pregnant. She lists adoption as a possible option, but not abortion.
Body Acceptance/Fat Liberation
We all feel some kind of way about changes that happen to our bodies. And, while I havent been pregnant, I know the changes that happen can be jarring. But Josie's negative self-talk about changes in her body and her friend Ellie's diet talk are not interrupted. Diet culture and the prefernce for thinness in our society are probably things we don't even notice if we haven't been actively working to interrupt them. However, they have connections to purity cultire and white supremacy. Talking about these things and not interrupting them is also a political choice.
Gender Identity
There is constant speculation abour Josie's baby's gender. Josie has been dreaming of the gender reveal party she would throw when she eventually became pregnant. Once Josie does find out the baby's sex, she starts talking about onesies that say "Mama's Little Man" and making everything blue. The binary is part of how we're socialized, but sticking to that narrative is also a political stance.