A Way Out
Graphic novel about a Polish woman’s struggle to get an abortion
Magda is a young teacher at a primary school in Warsaw. She is caring, kind, responsible and has her life in order. But then she gets pregnant. The pregnancy is unwanted, but abortion is illegal in Poland. The subject is so controversial in Poland’s conservative political climate that it’s hard to talk about, even with her friends and family. The only person she is able to confide in is her sister.
Magda struggles with her feelings of guilt and the unreassuring options that the internet offers. And looking for solutions online is risky, because her colleagues at school use the same network and suddenly a colleague begins to get pop-up ads for baby products. As a teacher, Magda talks to little kids every day who rave about their adorable baby brothers and sisters, all while an unwanted baby is growing inside her. Meanwhile, the clock keeps ticking mercilessly… Magda is growing desperate, but then she comes across the Amsterdam-based organisation ANA (Abortion Network Amsterdam). She and her sister get in the car and head for the Netherlands, where she can have a termination.
With great empathy, B. Carrot portrays Magda’s loneliness and the trials and tribulations she goes through. This abortion is her choice – it’s her body. But that doesn’t mean the choice is easy. The reader also feels a wave of relief when Magda finally finds her way out. This outstanding graphic novel is a finely wrought portrait of a woman in a difficult situation and a story about the power of sisterhood. It also makes a powerful case for the right to abortion, which continues to be at risk all over the world.
Publishing details
Uitweg (2024)
232 pages
Approximately 7,066 words
Full colour
Complete English translation available
Publisher
Oogachtend
Sammy Koot
sammy@oogachtend.be
“A Way Out is a tragic, funny and important story. B. Carrot shows what it feels like when your own body suddenly becomes a political statement. She isn’t preachy about it, though – she tells this story with great nuance and sensitivity, and with a lot of love for human fallibility.”
“This is why healthcare should be accessible for everyone! Along with Magda and her sister Oli, the people from Abortion Network Amsterdam (ANA) are the other heroes in this graphic novel.”
B. Carrot
A Way Out
Magda is a young teacher at a primary school in Warsaw. She is caring, kind, responsible and has her life in order. But then she gets pregnant. The pregnancy is unwanted, but abortion is illegal in Poland. The subject is so controversial in Poland’s conservative political climate that it’s hard to talk about, even with her friends and family. The only person she is able to confide in is her sister.
Joost de Vries
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It’s the early decades of the 20th century. James Welmoed is too British for his Dutch school – just like he’ll be too Dutch for London later in life. In 1930s Indonesia, he is an inscrutable member of the colonial establishment. No one knows what to make of him – including Elisabeth van Elsenburg, an eighteen-year-old so witty she could only be the brainchild of an author with a keen intellect and boundless dexterity. She’ll grow up to be a writer, but first she embarks on a love affair with Welmoed which, even though it will be cut short, will shape both their lives.
Daan Heerma van Voss
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Thomas Rosenboom
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