Take My Hand

Loosely based on a true story, about Black women and girls in 1970s America who were given birth control without being properly informed of the risks and side effects, and/or being sterilised without actually realising it.

The story follows Civil, a nurse who helps two of these girls, and ends up becoming almost like a member of their family - which is quite emotionally conflicting for both her and the family as she see-saws between her role as nurse and pseudo-mother figure.

Overall it’s quite an unsettling book.

Based on a true story from 1973 about a 12-year-old girl and her 14-year-old sister in Montgomery, Alabama who were involuntarily sterilized. This novel tells the story from the perspective of a nurse who was involved in their care and her feelings about the girls, their family, and their medical and later legal cases; it shows how her life intersects with theirs on multiple levels. Although the subject matter is horrific, this is an excellent, moving novel which challenges the reader to think. Highly recommend

I love when I find a well-written historical fiction novel that introduces me to a topic I have not learned about previously. Take My Hand by Dolen Perkins-Valdez has left a lasting impact on me. I was educated, outraged, saddened, and inspired during my reading experience.

The events in the novel are loosely based on a real incident in the 1970s, and after finishing the novel, I immediately wanted to know more and to discuss the events with others. In the book, Civil Townsend, a nurse at the family planning clinic in Montgomery, Alabama, is assigned to give birth control shots to two young black girls aged 11 and 13. Erica and India Williams live in extreme poverty and are given birth control shots by the government to keep them from getting pregnant. Civil is bothered by this because the girls are so young and not sexually active. When she discovers that the shot is not approved by the FDA and may cause cancer, she stops giving them the shots. Even though she tries to stop the damage done to these girls, events beyond her control lead to a deplorable and irreversible action committed against them. Civil then attempts to right the wrongs for which she feels responsible.

While the plot of the book is engaging and tells an important story, it is the characters that make a lasting impact on the reader. All the main characters are fully developed in such a way that the reader can connect with them and feel deeply affected by their struggles. Civil's love for the Williams family and her turmoil over her contribution to their pain is vividly portrayed. I cared for those young girls right along side Civil, and I deeply despised the individuals who caused those beloved characters pain. I do not believe I will be forgetting any of these characters any time soon, if ever.

The themes in this novel are so important. Topics such as racism, government control, civil rights, responsibility, redemption, and accountability are explored. The book does not shy away from uncomfortable realities. Through the character of Civil, the author explores the inner turmoil that results from decisions we make and how we must face the consequences of those decisions. Civil grows into a more self-aware individual as a result of her experience.

I would recommend this book to most readers, but especially those who enjoy historical fiction that deals with civil rights and centers female characters and issues. It will likely be one of my top books read in 2024!

Haunting. A powerful beginning; so good that the first thing I did upon finishing the book was reread the first few chapters. Effective first-person narration, ostensibly epistolary but inobtrusively so. Dual timelines worked beautifully: about 80% was 1973, tense, dramatic, distinctly uncomfortable; the rest, in 2016, tempered the heat with mature reflection. Getting to know the narrator like that—first as an interesting, conflicted adult, then as the hotheaded but caring young person she was— ... well, I found myself crushing hard on her. The book is much more than about her, of course, but it's so enjoyable to have the author devote care to every aspect. That's why we read.

The story is fiction, the events behind it are not, and near the one-third mark I felt compelled to read up on the historical basis. Waiting that long worked well for me, and I recommend it. Or perhaps even waiting until after finishing the book. This is history I never knew (yes, that bothers me!) but I think that, had I read up about it beforehand, the book's effect would've been lessened.

This was a real eye opener! I don't want to give anything away.

I went into this book without knowing what the premise was. I went off of ratings alone and I'm glad I did. This book is beautifully written. The author's purpose in educating readers about the governmentally sanctioned sterilizations of poor brown and black women was effective. I liked that the narrator was describing this story to her daughter the whole time and not one of the two sisters because it cemented the fact that she wasn't their savior and they had their own lives to live. This was a great book.

4.5 rounded up
What a powerful story! Erica and India's situation really emphasized for me the prevalence of medical racism America and how it still exists today. Civil, their nurse, is a persistent and caring woman who loves these girls as her own and ultimately fights for justice because she was a part of the problem. I loved how the nuances of the situation were handled (the intersectionality of race, gender and class in the American medical field) and how there were many perspectives to this story, from the victims themselves to their families and even the medical professionals who knowingly and unknowingly were apart of the situation. This was a really really great and important historical fiction that I would recommend to anyone. Definitely a new favorite!

Take My Hand is based on the unbelievable, but true, story of Minnie and Mary Relf. This took place in the 70's, when things like this should not have been happening to any human being! I cannot express how angry the government's involvement in this makes me, the thinking that they know better, taking control of a woman's reproductive system becasue of race and/or class.
Makes me wonder what is happening now that we don't know about?


https://www.al.com/opinion/2022/06/50-years-ago-relf-sisters-were-sterilized-against-their-wishes-now-alabama-apologize-write-a-check.html

This book is an emotional roller coaster. Horrifically, it's inspired by a real court case.

I rarely give five stars but this book earned it.

Take My Hand is loosely based on true events. The main characters include Erica, India, and Civil just to name a few. India and Erica are two patients that end up being some of Civils first patients. She eventually finds out that they are in unfortunate circumstances. They live in filth, and the walls in their home are not up to par. They also do not even have running water or food. Civil makes it her mission to ensure these girls are well taken care of. But, like any story, there are bumps in the road. This book had it all drama, romance, education, and history. It opened my eyes to topics and injustices that I never even knew about and I love history. This is a must-read for any and everyone. I hope this review helps. I do not want to spoil it for anyone. I completed this in one day if that tells you anything. I hope you enjoy it.

This story is about two poor young Black girls who are sterilized without consent in 1973 Alabama (fictionalized story inspired by real-life case of Relf v. Weinberger) and a Black nurse who blows the whistle on the program and helps bring a lawsuit against the government. The book is compelling and well written. The author sheds light onto this practice that continues today in the United States in some places and circumstances and it is a beautifully told heartbreaking tale that manages to leave the reader with some hope for the future. This one will stay with me for a while, as it should.

This novel is inspired by the 1973 case of Relf vs Weinberger, in which two young, black, poor, mentally disabled girls were forcibly and unknowingly sterilised; their mother, who was illiterate, signed X on a slip in the belief that her children were being given birth control shots.

In this fictional novel inspired by these very real events, in 1973 23-year-old black nurse Civil Townsend uncovers forced sterilisation in the very clinic she works at after caring for two young poverty-stricken girls, Erica and India and growing close to their family.

Perkins-Valdez has an incredibly good grasp of time and place, and explores this not so distant history with tact and grace. An educational and enlightening novel.

4.5 ⭐ honestly only knocking off half a star because I did not care about the “now” portion as much as I would have liked to