“Who was the woman trying to convince a jury in a tiny courthouse in Nova Scotia that it was self-defense when she killed her partner; and who was the young woman walking into the palais de justice in small-town Quebec arguing that it was her choice, not his, to have an abortion? What was it that pushed these women on, even when the lawyers said it was hopeless?”
From the award-winning author of The Abortion Caravan and More Than a Footnote, Karin Wells once again pulls us into the lives—and this time, the legal trials—of a group of women integral to the advancement of women’s rights in Canada. Eliza Campbell, Chantale Daigle, Jeannette Corbiere Lavell—these Women Who Woke Up the Law often had no idea what they were facing in the courts, or the price they would have to pay. Some never saw justice themselves, but they left a legal legacy. Their bold determination is something we need now more than ever to guard the hard-won gains in women’s rights.
“I didn’t read this book as a work of history but as a call to arms.”
“An unflinching reminder of women’s long and fierce fight for justice under the law.”
"...Wells is skilled at pulling threads and making connections, weaving these wide-ranging tales into a fascinating tapestry."
“Terrific…. Grips the reader with the power of a novel.”
“Each gem is about an ordinary woman who achieved something extraordinary.”
“We have faced these moments before and have come out victorious. Let this book inspire you.”
“Chilling stories of adultery, abuse, and abortion that came at great cost to the women whose personal cases became public causes. We owe them our gratitude.”