Skip to main content

The Abortionist's Daughter by Elisa DeCarlo: A Book Review

The Abortionist’s Daughter
Author: Elisa DeCarlo
Genre: Historical Fiction
Publisher: Mad Fashionista Enterprises
Release Date: 2012
Pages: 337
Source: This book was given to me by the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
Synopsis: It’s 1916 and Melanie Daniels, the prettiest girl in Mullers Corners, New York, and daughter of the town’s doctor, dreams of making a brilliant marriage. But scandal has doomed her dreams. Six years ago a woman died while receiving an abortion from Melanie’s father, and now that “the killer doc” is back from prison, Mullers Corners won’t forgive and won’t let Melanie forget her family’s disgrace. 

     Angry at both her father and the town, Melanie is easily swayed by a charming stranger who arouses mysterious new feelings in her and begs her to run away with him to New York City. Neither the stranger nor her life in the big city turn out to be what Melanie expects, and soon the twists of fate lead her into a new life in the less-than-respectable world of the theater--and a new understanding of her own womanhood and her father’s crime. Filled with vivid scenes of backstage life and fascinating vignettes of long-ago society, fashion, and mores, The Abortionist’s Daughter explores the challenges of being a woman in early 20th century America with drama, passion, and wit. 

     My review: Because of her father’s crime as an abortionist doctor, Melanie is the town outcast. Everyone shuns her and makes fun of her. However, when she meets an older man who comes into the town. Melanie is intrigued by him because he respects her and does not shun her for her father’s crime. She then runs away with him to New York City in hopes to elope with him. One day when he abandons her, she is forced to go back home where the town’s hatred of her deepens and she is treated even more harshly. In order to get rid of the stigma of her father’s crime and her own mistakes, Melanie vows to be a famous actress in New York City.

     Melanie is at first very naive. She has low self-esteem because everyone judges her for her father’s crime and bullies her. She wants to be seen as an equal, and wants a person to love her for who she is. Because of this desire, she easily falls in love with a stranger because he seems to respect her and not judge her. She is very intelligent and observant for she notices the lies that the stranger tells her. She is also very ambitious for she dreams to become a famous actress so she can finally start her life anew and people could finally admire and respect her. Her ambition drives her determination for she never gives up on her dream no matter her hardships.

     While the premise is interesting, I did not find it executed very well. I found the book to be very boring and the story very dragged out. I felt that the novel could have easily been condensed at least a hundred pages. Melanie’s relationship with the stranger covered half the book, and I lost interest by the time I reached the story of Melanie trying to be an actress. I read it till the end hoping that soon I would end up liking the book, but even the last third of the story could not redeem the story itself for me.

        Overall, this story is about a woman who is searching for her own identity. The message of the book is to not give up no matter how hard it seems. The story is not really well-executed. Melanie is the only character that is well-rounded. I did like her mother, for she is so tough that she is definitely not someone to get on her bad side. However, the rest of the characters are cardboard-cutouts. The characters are just there, there is very little character-development. I did find the setting to be well-developed and I feel that the author had done her research on the era of the topic. She did a great job of bringing to life twentieth century New York City. I recommend this story to anyone interested in theater history.

Rating: 2½ out of stars

This is the official book trailer of The Abortionist's Daughter:

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

Interview with Melanie Karsak

Today, I have the pleasure of having an interview with Melanie Karsak! I have read and enjoyed her many series of books on some of history's more obscure or misunderstood women. Often, little is known about their true histories, either from not being recorded because of their gender and the unimportance given to women or else intentional character assassination. Mrs. Karsak seeks to bring light where much is shrouded in darkness. As a result, we are enriched by their lives and these fascinating women can speak to us through the centuries. In this interview, Mrs. Karsak talks about what drew her to these women and her writing pro cess! Thank you Mrs. Karsak! You have written books on Lady MacBeth, Hervor, Queen Boudica, Queen Cartimandua, and now Freydis. What drew you to write about these women? I like the unsung and maligned heroines. Hervor is a significant character in the Norse Hervarar Saga . In fact, there are two Hervors in that tale—grandmother and granddaughter. But

The Magnificent Lives of Marjorie Post by Allison Pataki: A Book Review

The Magnificent Lives of Marjorie Post Author: Allison Pataki Genre: Historical Fiction Publisher: Ballantine Release Date: February 15, 2022 Pages: 381 Source: Netgalley/Publisher in exchange for an honest review. Synopsis: Mrs. Post, the President and First Lady are here to see you. . . . So begins another average evening for Marjorie Merriweather Post. Presidents have come and gone, but she has hosted them all. Growing up in the modest farmlands of Battle Creek, Michigan, Marjorie was inspired by a few simple rules: always think for yourself, never take success for granted, and work hard—even when deemed American royalty, even while covered in imperial diamonds. Marjorie had an insatiable drive to live and love and to give more than she got. From crawling through Moscow warehouses to rescue the Tsar’s treasures to outrunning the Nazis in London, from serving the homeless of the Great Depression to entertaining Roosevelts, Kennedys, and Hollywood’s biggest stars, Marjorie Merriweath

The Rose Code by Kate Quinn: A Book Review

The Rose Code Author: Kate Quinn Genre: Historical Fiction Publisher: Harper Collins Release Date: 2021 Pages: 635 Source: Netgalley/Publisher in exchange for an honest review. Synopsis: 1940, Bletchley Park, Buckinghamshire.        Three very different women are recruited to the mysterious Bletchley Park, where the best minds in Britain train to break German military codes.       Vivacious debutante Osla has the dashing Prince Philip of Greece sending her roses – but she burns to prove herself as more than a society girl, working to translate decoded enemy secrets. Self-made Mab masters the legendary codebreaking machines as she conceals old wounds and the poverty of her East-End London upbringing. And shy local girl Beth is the outsider who trains as one of the Park’s few female cryptanalysts.       1947, London.        Seven years after they first meet, on the eve of the royal wedding between Princess Elizabeth and Prince Philip, disaster threatens. Osla, Mab and Beth are estranged,