Review: Unplanned by Abby Johnson

Title: Unplanned: The Dramatic True Story of a Former Planned Parenthood Leader’s Eye-Opening Journey Across the Life Line
Author: Abby Johnson with Cindy Lambert
Released: January 11, 2011
Publisher: SaltRiver (Tyndale)
Pages/format: 288 (Hardcover)
Source: From the publisher.

Quick Synopsis: Former Planned Parenthood clinic director Abby Johnson tells her story of why she walked away and joined the Coalition for Life.

From the back cover:

Abby Johnson quit her job in October 2009. That simple act became a national news story because Abby was director of a Planned Parenthood clinic in Texas who, not long after assisting in an actual abortion procedure for the first time, crossed the line to join the Coalition for Life. What happened in that clinic to cause this Planned Parenthood leader and Employee of the Year to take such drastic action? And how did Planned Parenthood react to her abrupt departure?

Quick Review: Unplanned is a compelling memoir that will cause readers on both sides of the abortion debate to reevaluate their view of the opposition.

Long Review:

Unplanned is a quick read consisting of twenty-four short chapters. Abby starts off her story at the point of her conversion from pro-choice to pro-life–the day she assisted in an abortion procedure for the first time. Following this, she goes back to the beginning of her story, when she was first recruited to volunteer at Planned Parenthood, and continues her tale in chronological order from that point on.

Abby’s story is compelling, and I was fascinated by her account of why she first joined Planned Parenthood and how the organization attacked her when she left. Her story helped me to understand the other side of the abortion debate, and illustrated how well-meaning women can be deceived by cleverly crafted talking points. It also exposed Planned Parenthood’s number one goal–making money, even if that means purposefully increasing the number of abortions.

I appreciated that Abby lets her experience speak for itself. She doesn’t rant about the evils of Planned Parenthood and is quick to come to the defense of clinic workers–many of whom she believes are just misguidedly trying to help women in crisis like she was.

The writing is simple, straightforward, and easy to understand. There are a few parts where a little more polishing could have been done to make the narrative flow better, but that didn’t detract from the story. Above all, Abby’s story is unique, engaging, and eye-opening. It will make readers on both sides of abortion debate pause and reevaluate their view of the opposition.

About Abby Johnson:

Abby Johnson was hired by Planned Parenthood in 2005 and progressed to the position of health center director, in which she ran both the family planning and abortion programs. In 2009 she left Planned Parenthood and joined the Coalition for Life as a volunteer. Johnson continues her volunteer activities and now works on projects with the national 40 Days for Life campaign. She and her husband, Doug, have a young daughter and live in Texas.

About Cindy Lambert:

Cindy Lambert, vice president and associate publisher at Zondervan, is a veteran of the bookselling industry. For nearly two decades she owned an award-winning bookstore before expanding into leadership roles in such companies as Ingram, Simon & Schuster, and Zondervan. As a speaker Cindy has addressed audiences in publishing and bookselling conferences as well as churches and retreats. She and her husband, Dave, have six children and seven grandchildren, and live in Michigan.

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