Weston resident Kerri Maher is launching her fourth historical novel, All You Have to Do is Call, based on the Jane Collective, at Wellesley Books (one of the all-time best independent bookstores) on September 19 at 7 pm. Kerri will be in conversation with Greer Macallister about “the badass 1970s feminists” (Kerri’s words) who are the characters.” I am guessing the subject area appeals to many of us, including some folks at my alma mater which is filled with 2020s bad-ass feminists right down the street.

I know Kerri from when she took over the PTO Author Program (once called Wordfest) from me way back when our kids were in elementary school. One of her giant successes in this volunteer role was bringing Kwame Alexander to Weston for the Ben Sandalls program a year later–so not only is she an amazing writer, but Weston has directly benefited from her presence here. Kwame Alexander’s book The Crossover is a top 10 of one of the Owlets–and that is a big deal because that one is not a reader.

Okay, onwards to a description of this interesting novel:

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All You Have to Do is Call

A dramatic and inspiring novel based on the true story of the Jane Collective and the brave women who fought for our right to choose, from the USA Today bestselling author of The Paris Bookseller.

Chicago, early 1970s: Who does a woman call when she needs help? Jane.

The best-known secret in the city, Jane is an underground women’s health organization composed entirely of women helping women, empowering them to live lives free from the expectations of society by offering reproductive counseling and safe, illegal abortions. Veronica, Jane’s founder, prides herself on the services she has provided to thousands of women, yet the price of others’ freedom is that she leads a double life. When she’s not at Jane, Veronica plays the role of a conventional housewife—which becomes even more difficult during her own high-risk pregnancy.

Two more women in Veronica’s neighborhood are grappling with similar disconnects. Margaret, a young professor at the University of Chicago, secretly volunteers at Jane as she falls in love with a man whose attitude toward his ex-wife increasingly disturbs her. Patty, who’s long been content as a devoted wife and mother, has begun to sense that something essential is missing from her life. When her runaway younger sister Eliza shows up unexpectedly, Patty is forced to come to terms with what it really means to love and support a sister.

In this historic moment when the personal was nothing if not political, when television, movies, and commercials told women they’d “come a long way, baby,” Veronica, Margaret, and Patty must make choices that will change the course of their lives forever.

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This is a ticketed event. Your $5 ticket can be put towards a purchase of the book at the event. Alternatively, you can add on a purchase of the book to your order and receive a free ticket. Either way, buy tickets through the link (fees apply) or by calling Wellesley Books at 781-431-1160 during store hours (no fees). Please note refunds are not accepted within 48 hours of the event. Please also note that you must purchase your copy of the book from Wellesley Books in order to have the author sign it at the event.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Kerri Maher is the USA Today bestselling author of The Paris Bookseller, The Girl in White Gloves, The Kennedy Debutante, and, under the name Kerri Majors, This Is Not a Writing Manual: Notes for the Young Writer in the Real World. She holds an MFA from Columbia University and lives with her daughter and dog in a leafy semi-rural town west of Boston, Massachusetts. Learn more online at kerrimaher.com.

ABOUT THE MODERATOR

G.R. Macallister is the author of the Five Queendoms series, beginning with Scorpica, which Publishers Weekly called “a must-read for fans of Game of Thrones and Priory of the Orange Tree.” She also writes bestselling historical fiction under the name Greer Macallister. Her novels have been named Indie Next, LibraryReads, and Amazon Best Book of the Month picks and optioned for film and television. A regular contributor to Writer Unboxed and the Chicago Review of Books, she lives with her family in Boston.

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Wellesley Books is located at 82 Central Street.