In January, my friend Melissa Kantorexternal link, opens in a new tab published her tenth young adult novel. Many of her previous books deal with themes like romance and family, feeling like an outsider, and navigating the complications of everyday life.
But while the characters in her latest book, Biology Lessonsexternal link, opens in a new tab, have the same heart as those in her previous novels, the central theme takes a different turn. In Biology Lessons, the reader follows Grace, a high-achieving 12th grader and sometime biology tutor as she navigates an unexpected, and most certainly unwanted, pregnancy in her home state of Texas. Texas — in the novel and in the real world — has some of the most severe abortion bans nationwide, and while Grace has loving parents, for a range of reasons, they are not people she can turn to in this crisis.
Grace’s situation is one that an increasing number of young people will find all too familiar. In 2022, the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade in the Dobbs decision, ending long-standing federal abortion protections and triggering laws in several states that ban or restrict this medical procedure even more than it had been. These laws impact anyone who can get pregnant, but they hit marginalized groups and minors the hardest. 17-year-old Grace is a character whom many readers will be able to relate to.
Curious about the inspiration behind Biology Lessons, I had the opportunity to ask Melissa about the story and its themes. She shared her motivations for depicting Grace and her family the way she did, how important she thinks it is for teens to feel like they aren’t alone in these situations, and why watching the erosion of reproductive rights over the past few decades pushed her to write a novel centering abortion access.
Ellen: I loved Biology Lessons! So much so that I immediately shared it with my cousin’s teen, who read it in one sitting and came back with glowing feedback. Have you shared the book with your own children or other young readers? How did they respond to the book’s themes?
Melissa: Oh, that makes me so happy! It’s funny that you ask about my own kids because neither of my teenagers has read my book! My daughter says she’s going to read it next (as soon as she finishes what she’s reading now). My son hasn’t mentioned it. So far, I’ve mostly talked to grownups who have read the book. A few teenagers have told me they really liked it, and that’s just a great feeling.
Ellen: Grace’s family plays such a significant role in her life, but it’s clear that even in a loving, generally supportive household, there are topics she can’t approach with them—especially in this case her pregnancy and choice to have an abortion. How did you approach developing the family dynamics in Biology Lessons?
Melissa: This question hits on such a central issue in the book, and it’s one I really struggled with. Through several drafts, I kept getting her family wrong. I knew Grace couldn’t tell them what she was dealing with, but I didn’t know why: Why would they object to her having an abortion? Were they religious? Were they strict? Were Grace and her mom not close? It was my brilliant editor and other thoughtful readers who helped me get to the place where I landed. Grace has wonderful, loving parents who care deeply about her. If she chose to stay pregnant and give birth, they would care deeply about her baby, and they would support her having the baby, even if it is not the life they wished for her. But the idea that she wouldn’t want to have a baby, that she would choose abortion over motherhood, is just unfathomable to them, and they could never support it. When she’s trying to figure out what to do about her pregnancy, she has this memory of her parents’ talking about a girl from her high school who got pregnant. The girl’s parents kicked her out of the house. Grace’s parents cannot imagine how those people didn’t love their grandchild, didn’t want to see and care for their grandchild. That memory (among other things) is what makes Grace realize that for her to tell her parents would be to permanently rupture her relationship with them. I think many teens dealing with an unwanted pregnancy have to navigate (or have to imagine navigating) their parents’ feelings, religious beliefs, shock, anger, love…and in our new abortion landscape, it’s not just the emotional reality of their parents’ reactions. If their parents don’t support their desire to have an abortion, many teens simply can’t get an abortion. Case closed.
Ellen: Having grown up with the protections of Roe v. Wade, what has it been like for you to witness the changing landscape of reproductive rights?
Melissa: Many years ago, when I was in college, I went to a performance that was focused on reproductive rights. I have no memory of why I was there or even what the performance was about. But there was a scene in which the actors were trying to show how difficult it was to get an abortion in certain parts of the United States. And with each scenario, it was harder and harder for the person to get an abortion — I think there was the sound of a door shutting to show they couldn’t follow a certain path. Like, if she was in Alabama and didn’t have parental permission, she had to get to Georgia (I’m making these states up). And every time, by some stroke of luck, the actor was able to find a way to get where they needed to go until the last scenario: Maybe it was a teenager in Oklahoma who had no money or something like that. And there was just this final door slam and you knew they were out of options. So even though Dobbs was obviously horrible, I had been aware for a long time that there were places in this country where, depending on your circumstances (money, age, citizenship status), you might not actually be able to get an abortion. That said, I also always believed that the country in general was heading in the right direction — to quote Martin Luther King Junior, “The arc of the moral universe is long, but it bends towards justice.” I believed that. Now I don’t, which is just devastating.
Ellen: As an educator, I often find myself balancing the need to be honest with teens about the challenges they may face, without being discouraging about their futures. Did you consider this tension while writing Biology Lessons? What message did you want teens to take away, especially considering that Grace’s experiences may not be universal?
Melissa: I was very lucky to be put in touch with Jane’s Due Process, a Texas-based organization that helps teens deal with an unwanted pregnancy. The work they do is incredible, and they’re working in an impossible situation: Texas has some of the most restrictive abortion laws in the country. But one of the things my contact at Jane’s Due Process told me is that most of the teens they work with have an adult who supports them. And that is what I hope for every teen who is dealing with an unwanted pregnancy: If you have a friend who can support you, together you can find adults who can support you. In Biology Lessons, Grace relies so much on her friend Addie, and Addie brings in their friend Sebastian, and it’s through these incredible friends that she gets the support she needs to pursue the course of action that’s right for her. My main message to a teen in Grace’s situation is: You are not alone! There are people and organizations available to help you. I know this is scary, but don’t give up hope.
You can find Biology Lessons in brick-and-mortar and online bookshops, or check out the book at your local library. If they don’t have it, you can request that they add it to their collection!
