Intimate Wars: The Life and Times of the Woman Who Brought Abortion from the Back Alley to the Board Room

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.” —Truthout