Perks

One of the perks of my highly-paid (ahem!), high-status (ahem!) job is that I am surrounded by books. And not just any books, but books that I like to read and I GET TO READ THEM! In fact, my boss encourages it. Although he is the owner of a Catholic book and gift store, he does not like to read. I do. I really, really do. So he has told me that I can read any book in the store - it's actually good for business as customers often ask if we have read a book and occasionally I can say that I have and discuss it with them. Yesterday after we finished figuring out what First Communion and Confirmation cards needed to be reordered, I picked up a book that had just been delivered to the store and began to read. Unplanned by Abby Johnson is the true story of the director of a Planned Parenthood office who had an epiphany one day while assisting at an abortion. While Abby Johnson held the ultrasound wand over the mother's abdomen, she watched as the perfectly formed baby was fighting to get away from the cannula that was to suck it's life away. She suddenly realized that an abortion did not remove fetal cells, but killed a real, live human being. She had perpetuated a lie for her entire career.

The book traces her career with Planned Parenthood from her days as an idealistic college volunteer to her rise to director of the clinic. She was good at her job, but as the bottom line became more important to PP than what she saw as their ideals, she began to be disillusioned. Her disillusionment grew to outright repulsion at the abortion industry as her eyes began to open. Abby Johnson not only left Planned Parenthood, but ran (literally) to the Coalition for Life for sanctuary. She has now become a volunteer for them and , as I understand it, has begun the journey to join the Catholic Church as she now understands the idea behind the church's ban on ABC.

The book is honest and not every pro-lifer comes off well. Abby does not always come off well. The PP staff does not always come off well. It's a warts and all book, but the story is compelling and worth the read. I was fortunate to be able to read this in an afternoon - I did not want to put it down.

Thank you to my boss for allowing me to read this book at work. I love my job.