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Audible has released Choice by Jodi Picoult, a dystopian short story inspired by the current tension surrounding abortion law in the US.
Choice is inspired by the real-time events of the Supreme Court’s upcoming decision on Roe v. Wade, the 1973 landmark law case that came to underpin US abortion laws. According to a leaked Supreme Court document, the laws could be overturned in the court’s next hearing, expected to take place in late June or July.
The story, which is publishing ahead of schedule, explores a dystopian crisis through the lens of a couple experiencing an unwanted pregnancy. It will be read by Therese Plummer.
“Margot and James are broken up – for good this time,” the synopsis explains. “James made sure of it when he dropped the bomb on Margot: he doesn’t want kids, ever. Then, on the biggest morning of his life, James – an ambitious lawyer at a high-powered firm – wakes up pregnant. He realises with dread that he is part of a recent epidemic of men suddenly and inexplicably becoming pregnant. His condition obvious to the higher-ups, James is denied the promotion he was expecting, sending him reeling. Meanwhile, Margot, a social worker, must handle the influx of desperate, pregnant teenage boys suddenly seeking her help. When she receives a call from James with the same problem, the challenge of navigating post-Roe America hits even closer to home.”
Picoult will donate her payment to the National Network of Abortion Funds, which removes logistical and financial barriers to abortion in states where access is restricted or banned.
“Ever since hearing about the imminent overturn of Roe v. Wade, I did what I always do when I’m upset – I wrote,” Picoult said. “But that wasn’t enough, and I am grateful that Audible understood how imperative it was to release this short story about women’s choice as soon as possible.”
The author has written 27 novels to date. According to Nielsen data, she has sold 7.6 million books in the UK for £42m, with the original paperback of My Sister’s Keeper (Hodder), her bestseller, on 456,217 copies, while the film tie-in has yielded 433,847 copies sold.
She is the recipient of multiple awards, including the New England Bookseller Award for Fiction and the Alex Award from the YA Library Services Association. She is also the co-librettist for the musical “Breathe”, which premiered in 2021, and of the musical adaptation of The Book Thief (Black Swan) which will premiere in the UK in 2022. Her next novel, Mad Honey (Hodder & Stoughton), written with Jennifer Finney Boylan, will be published on 4th October.
The new short story is now available to subscribers of the audiobook platform.