Roe

Mary Ziegler is the Martin Luther King Jr. Professor of Law at the University of California, Davis, and author of six books on the law, history, and politics of abortion and American conservatism. She lives in Sausalito, CA.

“The chapters track political debates over national values, but Ziegler grounds them in the intimate histories of people whose names are likely unknown or unfamiliar to most abortion scholars. . . . They are people who made meaning of Roe in unexpected ways, and Ziegler tenderly narrates a national history of Roe from their lives, making the book uniquely brilliant and uniquely valuable for comparative study.”—Joanna N. Erdman, Comparative Legal History“An accessible and timely primer on the many meanings Roe has accrued in American politics, law, and culture across half a century, deepening our understanding of this polarizing constitutional landmark.”—Ken I. Kersch, author of Conservatives and the Constitution“Mary Ziegler offers a brilliant and insightful analysis of the fascinating ways in which our nation’s understanding of the abortion issue has evolved over the half-century since Roe was decided.”—Geoffrey R. Stone, author of Sex and the Constitution“With the landmark Supreme Court abortion decision as its lens, Roe offers a vivid view of the half-century of political, legal, and social conflicts over judicial activism, women’s rights, the place of religion in America, racial justice, sexuality, regional and class differences—while illuminating shifting political party positioning and pivotal individuals who resist the easy labels of polarized politics.”—Martha Minow, 300th Anniversary University Professor, Harvard University