Here are 20 books to add to your reading list for the new year. Some will educate and inform, others will persuade, and all will touch your heart.
True Stories
Each of the stories below is a true account of mothers who rejected or regret abortion. The first two are compilations of several beautiful stories.
- A Bump in Life: True Stories of Hope and Courage During an Unplanned Pregnancy by Amy Ford (President of Embrace Grace)
- Make Me Your Choice: Compelling Personal Stories of Struggle and Healing from Those Who Have Had or Dealt With Abortion by Cheryl Chew
- My Unknown Child by Noreen Riols
- I Will Carry You: The Sacred Dance of Grief and Joy by Angie Smith (wife of Selah’s lead singer)
The following books include the true stories of pro-life leaders:
- Gianna, Aborted…and Lived to Tell About It by Jessica Shaver
- No Fear: Real Stories of a Courageous New Generation Standing for Truth by Tony Perkins
- True to Life! by Janet L. Folger (currently running for the state Senate in Ohio)
Educational Material
- Abuse of Discretion: The Inside Story of Roe v. Wade by Clarke D. Forsythe
Forsythe has been a pro-life attorney for decades, and he is well-qualified to write this expose on Roe v. Wade. It is both insightful and devastating. The historical and legal information provided in this book is necessary for anyone wanting to end abortion.
- Slavery, Abortion, and the Politics of Constitutional Meaning by Justin Buckley Dyer
Dyer’s work is a scholarly treatise on the 14th Amendment and its relation to both slavery and abortion. While you may or may not agree with each of Dyer’s conclusions, this book is a good – and perhaps essential – read for anyone wanting to dive deeply into the constitutional issues surrounding abortion.
- The Ultimate Exploitation of Women: Abortion by Brian E. Fisher
Fisher – President of Online for Life – has written this highly unique work designed chiefly for men. (Here’s the story of one woman helped through Online for Life.) In this book, “[Fisher] reveals long-forgotten or never-known facts to show that abortion is very much a man’s concern. And it’s part of a long and tragic pattern of male oppression of women.” Fisher “lays out a five-point plan for men to ‘with humility, faithfulness, and relentless perseverance, commit our time, resources, energy, heart, and testimony to ending abortion in America for the sake of women, men, and the family.'”
- Why Pro-Life? Caring for the Unborn and Their Mothers by Randy Alcorn
Why Pro-Life? is perhaps the best short book ever written on the issue. In a compassionate, factual voice, Alcorn explains how pro-life is also pro-woman and pro-family. He gives answers to “the central issues of the abortion debate” – and the answers are based in science, logic, and fact. Why Pro-Life? is offered for free digitally here, $3 here, and can be purchased in quantities of 50 or more for $1 each. The price makes this book an excellent resource for youth groups, college groups, and any other club. You can also download “50 Ways to Help Unborn Babies and their Mothers” for free here.
- Does the Birth Control Pill Cause Abortions? by Randy Alcorn
This short, informative read is offered free in a digital version (English or Spanish) here, making it easy to pass on. (Paper copies are also very cheap.) For anyone who wants to know the truth about birth control that is abortifacient, this book is a must-read. As the back of the book explains: “Randy examined medical journals and other scientifically oriented sources – everything from popular medical reference books to highly technical professional periodicals. He checked and double-checked, submitted this research to physicians, and asked clarifying questions of pharmacists and other experts. Few of his citations are from prolife advocates. Most are from physicians, scientists, researchers, pill-manufacturers and other secular sources.”
- Why Can’t We Love Them Both: Questions and Answers About Abortion by Dr. and Mrs. J.C. Willke
Written by two heroes of the pro-life movement, Why Can’t We Love Them Both is a comprehensive but easily digestible Q&A on pro-life issues. This is an excellent introduction to questions that a pro-life advocate will face, and, though the book is an oldie, it is still a goodie. A large portion of the book can be read for free here.
- Third Time Around: A History of the Pro-Life Movement from the First Century to the Present by George Grant
Grant dedicates his book in part to “all the faithful through the ages who have to go round and round in the struggle for life.” This book explains the work and the stories of some who have gone before us – many unknown. It paints a picture that will cause the reader to appreciate our rich pro-life history, while also inspiring us to willingly wear the mantle in our own generation.
- The Party of Death: The Democrats, the Media, the Courts, and the Disregard for Human Life by Ramesh Ponnuru
While the title makes Ponnuru’s book sound rather dire (and it rightfully is), it also gives many reasons for pro-lifers to be optimistic, explaining ways to defeat the culture of death that surrounds us. Chuck Colson praises The Party of Death: “This carefully researched and rigorously argued work skillfully rebuts the seductive arguments of America’s merchants of death.”
Novels
- The Atonement Child by Francine Rivers
This beautiful book tells the heart-wrenching tale of college student Dynah Carey, who is raped and becomes pregnant. Her predictable life comes apart at the seams through no fault of her own. “Her family is torn apart and her seemingly rock-solid faith is pushed to the limits as she faces the most momentous choice of her life: to embrace or to end the life within her. This is ultimately a tale of three women, as Dynah’s plight forces both her mother and her grandmother to face the choices they made.”
- A Perfect Persecution by James R. Lucas
This futuristic novel reveals the work of a family and an abortion clinic nurse in an ‘underground’ pro-life movement. Unspeakable horrors are allowed at the local hospital…will the work of a few courageous individuals be enough to stem the tide?
- An Accidental Life by Pamela Binnings Ewen
Rebecca and Peter are a power couple who have committed to a childless marriage. When Rebecca becomes unexpectedly pregnant, she must wrestle with the demands of her career and the motherly instinct that is rising within her. Peter, meanwhile, is facing an awful scenario as he decides whether or not to prosecute an abortionist who delivered a live baby at his clinic. Based in part on Jill Stanek’s true story, An Accidental Life is “a must read for every pro-lifer.”
- Tilly by Frank E. Peretti
From the back of this short novel (first released as a radio drama): “Kathy and Dan Ross are just like any other couple. No one would ever imagine what secrets lie buried in their souls until Kathy is captivated by that simple name on a tiny gravestone and their lives are changed forever. … Tilly is…a deeply moving novel – an unforgettable story of real life, love, and Christ’s forgiveness.”
Are there any pro-life books you’d like to recommend for 2016?
