Vivian's Decision - by Della Leavitt (Paperback)

Book Synopsis

An evocative work of historical fiction, Vivian's Decision is an all too relevant story of repeated history, female friendship, and the strength that it takes to make choices of one's own.

In 1956 suburban Chicago, Vivian Jacobson, an overwhelmed mother of four, is distraught to be pregnant again. When she begs her doctor for an abortion, he refers her to an illegal practitioner. Her husband Mel, a Jewish WWII veteran working in his family's Maxwell Street tavern, reluctantly agrees.

Accompanied by her bossy older sister, Vivian goes to the abortionist's storefront but panics and insists he halt the procedure. As she flees, the man warns that she must return within one week, or else it will be too late.

Over the next seven days, while Vivian grapples with this weighty decision, she learns a series of staggering truths about her immigrant mother's past that shake her to her core. With her future and the future of her family hanging in the balance, Vivian will search inside and out for the answers she needs to make her choice--even when they come from the most unlikely of sources: herself.

Review Quotes

"Della Leavitt's exhaustive research and attention to detail shows on every page of this masterful work. Vivian's Decision is heartwarming and heartbreaking in equal measure."--Goldie Goldbloom, author of On Division, winner of the 2020 Association of Jewish Libraries Jewish Fiction Award

"Della Leavitt illuminates with grace and pathos the demands, often hidden from view, of motherhood and marriage. Vivian's Decision is a moving portrait of a woman on the edge--of a life-altering choice, of change, of self-discovery."--Christine Sneed, best-selling author of Little Known Facts and Paris, He Said

About the Author

Della Leavitt draws inspiration from the lives of resilient women. After careers in technology and math education, she embarked on an intensive study to write fiction within Chicago's vibrant writing community. Della earned a historical novel fellowship from the Newberry Library and a grant from Chicago's Department of Cultural Affairs & Special Events (DCASE) while writing this novel. She lives in Chicago with her family.