Madame Restell - by Jennifer Wright

About the Book

"Madame Restell is a sharp, witty Gilded Age medical history which introduces us to an iconic, yet tragically overlooked, feminist heroine: a glamorous women's healthcare provider in Manhattan, known to the world as Madame Restell. A celebrity in her day with a flair for high fashion and public, petty beefs, Restell was a self-made woman and single mother who used her wit, her compassion, and her knowledge of family medicine to become one of the most in-demand medical workers in New York. Not only that, she used her vast resources to care for the most vulnerable women of the city: unmarried women in need of abortions, birth control, and other medical assistance. In defiance of increasing persecution from powerful men, Restell saved the lives of thousands of young women; in fact, in historian Jennifer Wright's own words, "despite having no formal training and a near-constant steam of women knocking at her door, she never lost a patient." Restell was a revolutionary who opened the door to the future of reproductive choice for women, and Wright brings Restell and her circle to life in this dazzling, sometimes dark, and thoroughly entertaining tale. In addition to uncovering the forgotten history of Restell herself, the book also doubles as an eye-opening look into the "greatest American scam you've never heard about": the campaign to curtail women's power by restricting their access to healthcare. Before the 19th century, abortion and birth control were not only legal in the United States, but fairly common, and public healthcare needs (for women and men alike) were largely handled by midwives and female healers. However, after the Birth of the Clinic, newly-minted male MDs wanted to push women out of their space-by forcing women back into the home and turning medicine into a standardized, male-only practice. At the same time, a group of powerful, secular men-threatened by women's burgeoning independence in other fields-persuaded the Christian leadership to declare abortion a sin, rewriting the meaning of "Christian morality" to protect their own interests. As Wright explains, "their campaign to do so was so insidious-and successful-that it remains largely unrecognized to this day, a century and a half later." By unraveling the misogynistic and misleading lies that put women's health in jeopardy, Wright simultaneously restores Restell to her rightful place in history and obliterates the faulty, fractured reasoning underlying the very foundation of what has since been dubbed the "pro-life" movement. Thought-provoking, character-driven, funny, and feminist as hell, Madame Restell is required reading for anyone and everyone who believes that when it comes to women's rights, women's bodies, and women's history, women should have the last word"--

Book Synopsis

Discover the true story of a self-taught surgeon and trailblazing figure in medical history--Madame Restell, a revolutionary surgeon who fought for women's rights and healthcare in Gilded Age New York.​

An industrious immigrant who built her business from the ground up, Madame Restell was a self-taught surgeon on the cutting edge of healthcare in pre-Gilded Age New York, and her bustling "boarding house" provided birth control, abortions, and medical assistance to thousands of women--rich and poor alike. As her practice expanded, her notoriety swelled, and Restell established her-self as a prime target for tabloids, threats, and lawsuits galore. But far from fading into the background, she defiantly flaunted her wealth, parading across the city in designer clothes, expensive jewelry, and bejeweled carriages, rubbing her success in the faces of the many politicians, publishers, fellow physicians, and religious figures determined to bring her down.

Unfortunately for Madame Restell, her rise to the top of her field coincided with "the greatest scam you've never heard about"--the campaign to curtail women's power by restricting their access to both healthcare and careers of their own. Powerful, secular men--threatened by women's burgeoning independence--were eager to declare abortion sinful, a position endorsed by newly-minted male MDs who longed to edge out their feminine competition and turn medicine into a standardized, male-only practice. By unraveling the misogynistic and misleading lies that put women's lives in jeopardy, Wright simultaneously restores Restell to her rightful place in history and obliterates the faulty reasoning underlying the very foundation of what has since been dubbed the "pro-life" movement.

Thought-provoking, character-driven, boldly written, and feminist as hell, Madame Restell is required reading for anyone and everyone who believes that when it comes to women's rights, women's bodies, and women's history, women should have the last word.

Review Quotes

"Always entertaining."--London Review of Books

**Longlisted for the Brooklyn Public Library Book Prize in Nonfiction (2023)**

**Smithsonian Magazine, "10 Best History Books of 2023"**

**Audible, "12 Best History Listens of 2023" **

**An Amazon EDITOR'S PICK for BEST BOOKS OF 2023 SO FAR in BIOGRAPHY/MEMOIR and HISTORY**
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**An Amazon EDITOR'S PICK for BEST BOOKS OF THE MONTH (March 2023)**

**INDIE NEXT List Pick for March 2023**

**A Bookshop.Org EDITOR'S PICK (March 2023)***

Next Idea Book Club, "February Must Reads" and "40 Nonfiction Books to Watch Out For in 2023"

Cosmopolitan, "11 Best Books to Put on Your TBR"

Amazon, Best Books in History and Nonfiction (March 2023)

The Spectator, "Books to Watch Out For in 2023"

American Journal of Bioethics, "Recommended Reading"

"A compelling study."--Los Angeles Review of Books

"A searing portrait of an indomitable woman... Wright juxtaposes her subject's story with those of Restell's patients and an overview of the broader conversation surrounding abortion in the late 19th century."--Smithsonian Magazine

"This captivating portrait of the infamous self-taught surgeon and medical celebrity is also a glance at shifting mid-19th century mores, male power players, and their strategic campaign to curtail female independence and criminalize abortion."--Globe & Mail

"Wright's book dances off the page."--Washington Post

"Restell is central to the story of the dismantling of American women's reproductive freedom during the last half of the nineteenth century, yet she has largely been treated as a curiosity and a footnote.... [This work] fill[s] a grievous void... Wright... has produced an engaging... chronicle, with clear passion..."--New York Review of Books

"The fact that Ann Trow isn't a well-known feminist heroine is a travesty. Thankfully, Jennifer Wright is here with an extensively researched, compulsively readable account of this singularly fascinating woman and her extraordinary legacy that still affects so much of the country even today... Lost to history by the concerted efforts of power-hungry, sexist men, this remarkable woman is finally receiving her due in this fast-paced, whirlwind of a book. This book is more than a retrospective on the life of a forgotten heroine; it's a telling account of how women's health became both a commodity and a tool of oppression. Highly recommended for anyone with an eye on today's politics and wonders how we got here."

--CityView

"This brightly written biography of a fierce woman lost to history will appeal strongly to feminists."--New York Journal of Books

"Madame Restell is a timely portrait of one woman's boldness mixes deep research with page-turning prose to bring Madame Restell's times to life, reminding what's at stake in the fight for bodily autonomy." (Editor's Pick)--Bookshop.Org

"This is a book that'll make you want to stand up and say, 'HECK YES!'"--"Book Worm Says" column

"Wright has vividly and thoroughly revived the dark story of Madame Restell, an undeniably powerful entrepreneur who rose from seemingly hopeless poverty by exercising her innate abilities, excelling and enjoying the fruits of her labors. She examines the thorny issue of abortion from numerous angles, treating it deftly. Restell's life story encompasses subject matter that has much to teach, and Wright provides diligent, thoughtful research to make that possible." --BookReporter.com

"By unraveling the misogynistic and misleading lies that put women's lives in jeopardy, Wright simultaneously restores Restell to her rightful place in history and obliterates the faulty reasoning underlying the very foundation of what has since been dubbed the 'pro-life' movement." --Daily Kos

"Painfully timely... Wright observes that Americans don't take well to learning history. When it is delivered with this kind of blunt force, however, perhaps they might. Whatever readers end up thinking of Madame Restell, they surely cannot miss the core lesson: that there has never been a culture in human history without abortion. The only variable has ever been the cost.--New York Times Book Review

"They say that history is written by the victors, which goes a long way towards explaining the anonymity of Ann Trow, a.k.a. Madame Restell. Jennifer Wright's meticulously researched, dryly humorous, and frankly feminist biography of the glamorous, celebrated, and unapologetic abortionist--whose defiance in the face of an oppressive patriarchy can best be described as (ahem) ballsy--should set that right... Dismantling centuries-old misconceptions, Wright blends rousing biography and eye-opening medical and cultural history lessons in this compulsively readable biography of a remarkable woman."--Amazon

"Wright's well-researched biography is not only interesting, but, sadly, timely. A fresh contribution to women's history."--Kirkus

"Jennifer Wright is one of the best writers of history working today, and it's a gift to all of us that she's choosing to focus her tremendous skill as a researcher and singular voice on an all-but-forgotten figure like Madame Restell. To call this book timely would be an understatement. It functions not only as a brilliant biography but also a timeless reminder of the way history can be erased and changed to serve modern political purposes."--DANA SCHWARTZ, #1 New York Times bestselling author of ANATOMY: A LOVE STORY and host of NOBLE BLOOD

"MADAME RESTELL is a book about one of America's most infamous 19th century abortion providers, which is to say it's a delightful, indecorous, and sometimes disturbing story about the whole of American history: Capitalism and class, feminism and freedom, and puritanical hypocrites who find their authority challenged by women who want a littler power (and are willing to be more than a little bawdy in order to get it). If you want to understand contemporary politics, from brave women who break the law to the misogynist moral scolds who still want women under their thumb to the inevitable interplay of despair and resistance in the pursuit of liberation--or if you just want to read a truly captivating tale of the most important woman you've never heard of--don't miss MADAME RESTELL."--JILL FILIPOVIC, journalist and author of THE H-SPOT

"It may be a 19th century story, but Madame Restell's battles with sanctimonious hypocrites and condescending men feels all too modern, especially in an era when basic rights are once again being taken away. Luckily, Jennifer Wright has a wry humor and light hand, making this book as fun as it is inspiring."--AMANDA MARCOTTE, Senior Political Writer at Salon and Author of TROLL NATION

"Like the woman herself, MADAME RESTELL is smart, fascinating, complicated, and not to be denied. Wright has written that most delicious of books, the true story of a bad bitch, a woman whose work is as relevant as your social media timeline, only it's true."--QUINN CUMMINGS, author of NOTES FROM THE UNDERWIRE and SMALL STORIES (2018-2020)

"Reading Jennifer Wright's books is always like having a brilliant friend tell you fascinating history you can't believe you never heard of before. MADAME RESTELL is no exception--it's a page-turning ride through the Gilded Age that will make you laugh, make you cry, and enrage you by turns."--ALEXANDRA PETRI, Washington Post columnist and author of Alexandra Petri's US History

"[An] impassioned and irreverent biography... Wright paints a vivid picture of Restell's rise to prominence and weaves in intriguing details about the history of birth control and abortion. This feminist history fascinates."--Publishers Weekly

About the Author

Jennifer Wright is the author of several pop history books, including It Ended Badly and Get Well Soon (winner of Audible's "Best History Book of 2017"). She lives in Los Angeles with her husband--fellow writer Daniel Kibblesmith--and their daughter.