Two Women, Two Eras

The novel opens with two women separated by a century: Jessa, a modern-day New York attorney struggling with infertility and career setbacks, and Carrie, a poor girl in 1910s Virginia, whose life is upended when she's taken from her family by social workers. Jessa's life is defined by ambition, love, and the ache of loss—her parents' deaths, a miscarriage, and the pressure to have a child. Carrie's world is shaped by poverty, her mother's absence, and the responsibility of caring for her siblings. Both women are introduced at moments of profound uncertainty, their stories destined to intertwine across time through the legacy of reproductive injustice.

Secrets, Loss, and Longing

Jessa's marriage to Vance is strained by her inability to conceive and the relentless demands of her legal career. She is haunted by the loss of her parents and the pressure to live up to their memory. Carrie, meanwhile, is separated from her siblings and mother, placed in foster care, and denied education and agency. Both women experience longing—for family, for belonging, for control over their own bodies. The narrative explores how secrets—personal, familial, and societal—shape their identities and relationships, setting the stage for revelations that will force them to confront the past.

The Test and the Truth

Jessa's obsession with pregnancy tests becomes a symbol of her desperation and the tension in her marriage. Her repeated failures to conceive, and the clinical, transactional nature of her attempts, drive a wedge between her and Vance. Carrie, in her own time, faces a different kind of test: the scrutiny of social workers and the state, who judge her worthiness as a daughter, sister, and eventually, as a mother. Both women are subjected to systems that measure and define them, often to their detriment, and both are forced to reckon with truths about themselves and the world that are painful to accept.

Taken and Torn Apart

Carrie is forcibly removed from her foster home after being raped by a relative, her resulting pregnancy used as evidence of her "unfitness." She is committed to the Virginia Colony for Epileptics and Feebleminded, where her fate is decided by others. Jessa, meanwhile, takes on a pro bono immigration case involving Isobel, a detained woman who has been subjected to a hysterectomy without consent. As Jessa investigates, she uncovers a pattern of abuse at the detention center, echoing the historical injustices faced by Carrie. Both women are torn from their families and denied agency over their bodies by institutions claiming to act for the greater good.

The Law's Cruel Legacy

Carrie becomes the test case for Virginia's new sterilization law, her body and future sacrificed to a pseudoscientific quest for "racial purity." The Supreme Court's infamous Buck v. Bell decision upholds the state's right to forcibly sterilize her, with Justice Holmes's chilling words—"Three generations of imbeciles are enough"—sealing her fate. In the present, Jessa learns that her own great-grandfather was a leading eugenicist whose work inspired both American and Nazi policies. The revelation devastates her, forcing her to confront the ways in which the past continues to shape the present, and the complicity of even well-meaning families in systems of oppression.

Modern Injustice Unveiled

Jessa's investigation into the detention center reveals that women—mostly immigrants and women of color—are being sterilized without consent, often for profit. She discovers that the private company running the facility benefits financially from unnecessary medical procedures. The parallels to Carrie's story are unmistakable: women's bodies are still battlegrounds, and the logic of eugenics persists in new forms. Jessa's personal and professional lives collide as she becomes obsessed with the case, risking her marriage, career, and health to seek justice for her clients.

The Fight for Autonomy

Jessa assembles a coalition of lawyers, law students, and activists to file a class action lawsuit against the detention center, the private company, and the government. She faces resistance from her law firm, which refuses to let her lead the case, and from Vance, who fears for his own career and reputation. Meanwhile, Carrie, after being sterilized, is released from the institution and must rebuild her life with the knowledge that she will never have another child. Both women fight for autonomy—not just for themselves, but for others like them—challenging the systems that seek to control and define them.

Family, History, and Shame

Jessa's relationship with her grandmother, Gram, becomes a crucible for exploring family secrets and the burden of inherited shame. Gram reveals her own struggles with her father's legacy and the ways in which silence and avoidance have shaped their family. Jessa must decide whether to tell Vance the truth about her ancestry, knowing it could destroy their marriage. Carrie, in her later years, reflects on the small joys and deep sorrows of her life, finding solace in friendship and self-reliance even as she mourns what was taken from her.

Allies and Adversaries

Jessa's fight is bolstered by unexpected allies—paralegals, law students, and even colleagues she once mistrusted. She learns to ask for help and to trust others, moving beyond her lone-wolf tendencies. At the same time, she faces formidable adversaries: bureaucrats, corporate interests, and even her own husband, who cannot fully understand her drive. Carrie, too, finds support in unlikely places, but is ultimately betrayed by those who should have protected her. Both women learn that change requires both individual courage and collective action.

Breaking the Cycle

As the legal case gains traction and public attention, more women come forward to share their stories. Jessa realizes that true justice is not just about winning in court, but about breaking the cycle of silence, shame, and complicity that allows abuse to persist. Carrie, in her old age, writes her story for future generations, refusing to let her life be defined solely by what was done to her. Both women choose to stand on their own feet, determined to create new legacies for themselves and others.

The Power of Forgiveness

Jessa grapples with guilt over her family's past and her own perceived failures. Through her work and her relationships—with Gram, with her clients, and with herself—she learns the power of forgiveness, both given and received. Carrie, too, finds a measure of peace, forgiving herself and those who wronged her, not because they deserve it, but because she refuses to let bitterness define her. The novel suggests that healing is possible, even in the face of profound injustice, when women support each other and claim their own stories.

Standing on Her Own

In the aftermath of the legal battle, Jessa decides not to return to her old law firm, choosing instead a path that aligns with her values and sense of purpose. Her marriage to Vance ends, but they co-parent amicably, and she finds fulfillment in her work, her daughter, and her chosen family. Carrie, in her final years, reflects on a life marked by loss but also by resilience and self-determination. Both women, across time, embody the struggle and triumph of women who refuse to be defined by the worst things that happen to them, and who insist on the right to count backwards—to reclaim their own beginnings and shape their own ends.

Characters

Jessa Gidney

Jessa is a thirty-something New York attorney whose life is shaped by loss—her parents' deaths, a miscarriage, and the struggle to conceive. Driven by ambition and a desire to honor her family's legacy, she is also burdened by secrets: her great-grandfather's role in American eugenics, her own doubts about her marriage, and the injustices she uncovers in her legal work. Jessa's psychological journey is one of moving from self-doubt and people-pleasing to self-assertion and agency. Her relationships—with Vance, Gram, and her clients—force her to confront the ways in which personal and historical trauma intersect, and to choose a path of integrity, even at great personal cost.

Carrie Buck

Carrie is a poor, uneducated girl in early 20th-century Virginia whose life is derailed by poverty, sexual violence, and institutionalization. Used as a test case for forced sterilization, she is denied agency over her body and future. Despite profound loss—the separation from her family, the death of her child, and the theft of her fertility—Carrie endures. Her psychological arc is one of survival, self-reliance, and ultimately, forgiveness. She refuses to be defined by what was done to her, insisting on her own worth and the right to tell her story.

Vance Singer

Vance is Jessa's husband, a successful banker from a large, loving Jewish family. He is both a source of comfort and a source of conflict for Jessa, supporting her career and family ambitions but also pressuring her to conform to his vision of success and stability. Vance's inability to fully understand Jessa's drive and trauma, and his own fears about reputation and legacy, create a rift in their marriage. His arc is one of learning to let go, to co-parent, and to accept that love sometimes means stepping aside.

Gram (Betty Gregory)

Jessa's grandmother is a former librarian who raised Jessa after her parents' deaths. Gram is both a keeper of family secrets and a source of strength, struggling with her own shame over her father's legacy. Her relationship with Jessa is a crucible for exploring the intergenerational transmission of trauma and the possibility of forgiveness. Gram's eventual honesty and support help Jessa find her own path.

Isobel Pérez

Isobel is a detained immigrant and Jessa's pro bono client. Subjected to a nonconsensual hysterectomy, she becomes the catalyst for Jessa's legal crusade. Isobel's story highlights the intersection of immigration, race, and reproductive injustice. Her willingness to fight, despite fear and risk, inspires others and forces Jessa to confront her own privilege and responsibility.

Denise Agbar

Another victim of medical abuse at the detention center, Denise is initially reluctant to come forward, fearing retaliation and deportation. Her story underscores the climate of fear and the difficulty of seeking justice within oppressive systems. Denise's eventual participation in the lawsuit is a testament to the power of collective action and solidarity.

Dustin Ortiz

A younger colleague at Jessa's law firm, Dustin is initially a source of irritation and rivalry. As the story unfolds, he becomes an unexpected ally, helping with translation and legal work. Dustin's own background—adoption, family struggles—mirrors some of Jessa's themes of loss and longing. Their evolving relationship hints at new possibilities for Jessa beyond her marriage.

Fern Kraska

A nurse at the detention center, Fern is a crucial whistleblower who helps Jessa connect with other victims. Her willingness to risk her job and safety for the sake of justice exemplifies the importance of allies within oppressive systems.

Billy

Carrie's childhood friend and eventual husband, Billy represents the possibility of love and support even in the bleakest circumstances. His unwavering loyalty and kindness are a counterpoint to the betrayals Carrie suffers elsewhere.

Harry Laderdale

Jessa's great-grandfather, a leading eugenicist, is both a historical figure and a symbol of the ways in which good intentions can be warped into evil. His legacy haunts Jessa and Gram, forcing them to reckon with the consequences of silence, complicity, and the pursuit of "improvement" at the expense of humanity.

Plot Devices

Dual Timeline Structure

The novel alternates between Jessa's contemporary story and Carrie's historical narrative, using their parallel experiences to highlight the persistence of reproductive injustice. This structure allows the reader to see how the logic of eugenics and the control of women's bodies transcend time, and how personal and political histories are intertwined. The dual timeline also creates suspense, as revelations in one era illuminate mysteries in the other.

Foreshadowing and Mirroring

Events in Jessa's life—her struggles with fertility, her legal battles, her family secrets—mirror those in Carrie's, creating a sense of inevitability and interconnectedness. The use of foreshadowing (e.g., Jessa's obsession with pregnancy tests, Carrie's early separation from family) builds tension and underscores the cyclical nature of oppression and resistance.

Legal and Medical Documents

The inclusion of court cases, medical records, and journal entries grounds the narrative in historical reality and lends authority to the fictionalized accounts. These documents serve as both evidence and narrative devices, revealing the ways in which institutions record, justify, and perpetuate injustice.

Symbolism of the Body

The recurring motif of the female body—tested, violated, controlled, and ultimately reclaimed—serves as a powerful symbol of both vulnerability and strength. The body becomes a site of both trauma and agency, reflecting the broader struggle for autonomy and dignity.

Intergenerational Trauma and Healing

The novel explores how trauma is transmitted across generations—through secrets, shame, and silence—but also how healing can occur through honesty, solidarity, and action. The characters' journeys toward forgiveness and self-acceptance are as important as their external battles.

Analysis

Counting Backwards is a searing exploration of the ways in which women's bodies have been controlled, violated, and commodified across American history, from the eugenics movement of the early 20th century to the contemporary abuses of immigrant detention centers. By weaving together the stories of Carrie Buck—a real historical figure victimized by the Supreme Court's endorsement of forced sterilization—and Jessa Gidney, a modern attorney grappling with her own family's complicity in these injustices, Jacqueline Friedland exposes the persistence of reproductive injustice and the insidious logic of eugenics in new guises. The novel is both a legal thriller and a deeply personal journey, showing how the fight for autonomy is waged not just in courtrooms but in families, marriages, and the private struggles of women to claim their own stories. Ultimately, Counting Backwards is a call to action and a testament to the power of solidarity, forgiveness, and self-determination. It insists that history is not just something we inherit, but something we can choose to confront, challenge, and change—one woman, one story, at a time.

Last updated: August 1, 2025