Paperback Edition
ISBN: 9781558617513
Publication Date: 01-10-2012

Available as an ebook on:
Kindle
Nook
Apple iBooks
Kobo

Merle Hoffman had built a life as a classical pianist and self-made millionaire before her passion for the equality and freedom of girls and women drew her to a bigger cause: protecting a woman’s right to have a safe and legal abortion.

Hoffman became an expert in women’s reproductive healthcare and used her entrepreneurial spirit to build one of the most comprehensive women’s medical centers in the country. In 1971, two years before the Roe v. Wade Supreme Court decision made abortion legal throughout the US, Hoffman founded the New York abortion clinic Choices. As a medical provider, she pioneered “patient power,” encouraging women to participate in their own health care decisions.

This fascinating cultural history of abortion features the life of a woman devoted to choice, and a provocative chronicle of the feminist movement that will startle and inspire.

"From her decision to adopt a child to her love affairs, this is the story of one woman's quest to live fully. Opinionated, fierce, bold and brash, Intimate Wars chronicles Hoffman's efforts to improve women's lives and influence history. She deserves our gratitude." —Eleanor Bader, Truthout

"At last, we have Merle Hoffman's bold and courageous memoir of living on the front lines of the abortion wars. Merle never turned away from the harshest battles or denied the most painful truths." —Blanche Wiesen Cook, author of Eleanor Roosevelt

"Merle Hoffman has blazed a freedom trail while saving countless women's lives along the way" —Bill Baird, founder of the Pro-Choice League

"Intimate Wars is a fascinating personal narrative told from the epicenter of abortion politics and service delivery. Hoffman illustrates her unwavering commitment to the heart of the issue: the power of every woman to make her own childbearing decisions." —Gloria Feldt, former president of Planned Parenthood

"Merle Hoffman's gorgeous memoir vibrates with raw power and nerve. Her tremendous empathy for the women whose lives she has touched, and her unfailing courage in defending our right to abortion, are both inspiring and humbling." —Jennifer Baumgardner, author of Look Both Ways