On Friendship, Sorority, Love and Women’s Rights: Randi Pink Does it Again

Randi Pink is a young writer from Alabama, USA, who has published her second novel at the end of 2019. Titled ‘Girls Like Us’, it is a trip through 1972 USA. It is a story about love and loss, hope and fear, loneliness and sorority.

Meet Izella, Ola, Susan and Missippi. All of them are just young girls at the dawn of their life. But Ola, Susan and Missippi are also pregnant. Teen pregnancy is still a taboo today in most places, but back in 1972… It was a shame that rippled down the whole family. ‘Good girls’ just did not get pregnant out of wedlock - you may notice how we never talk about the person who got them pregnant in the first place, strange uh?

Randi’s book explores what it is like, what it feels like to be pregnant so young. Each character has her own voice, story and background. But all of the four stories intertwine closely, until they are all connected. Izella, Ola, Susan, Missippi, and so many more. All sharing the fear, the shame, the rejection. But also, the hope, the love, and the never ending support of the girls around them.

While some passages are tragic and had us in tears, it is ultimately a story of resilience, courage, love and sorority. A very feminist take on what it is to be a woman in a world that does not welcome you. Somewhere in the periphery of Chicago, a formidable woman has decided to take care of pregnant teens - because they have nowhere else to go. No one else to turn to.

Randi’s book is a cry out for abortion right, for the right to be supported, the right to be accompanied, the right to be treated with dignity. Because being pregnant, even when you are a teenager and even accidentally, does not make you a bad person. It just means that you might need a little help. And everyone should be able to get this help - be it an abortion clinic, a supporting family, a partner that steps up, or a nurse on the periphery of Chicago. You are free to choose what feels right for you.

And do not hesitate to read Randi’s book. It is a must-read!

Image credits: Fierce Read