.there are some stories that you know have potencial and make sense on paper , however, it was not the right place nor the right time for me to read this book. I can see that the pieces were there with a semi cear message and intention but my head never did connect with the textx. if i were to give you a summary of this book i would say that i cannot remember a thing about it besides that i felt bored and slightly offended.

This is my second novel by this author and her novels are one to read. I always learn something new. The cover of a pomegranate and the title grabbed by attention and after reading the story I knew what exactly the over conveyed. The publisher nailed the cover.

This novel takes us on a journey in 1927 was we follow Carrie Buck who is denied medical rights and the injustices that are done to her and countless women.

The other timeline is in 2022, as Jessa is a lawyer taking on a medical malpractice case while struggling with her own fertility issues.

See how these timelines connect. These two women and their resilience, and their tenacity as they struggle to find out their strength was remarkable.

A heart-wrenching novel on a tough subject.

This novel and their stories will stay with me a long time.

i gravitated toward this one because of the cover, it's reminiscent of "ripe" by sarah rose etter, so it was an immediate tell that this book would have layers. from feeling heartbreak and sympathy to anger, it's just an unreal storytelling adventure that everyone should experience.

I had the pleasuree of reading this book before release. The story follwos two different women. One in the 1920's and one in present day. The way their stories weave together to create a compelling narrative is a masterclass. It is never confusing switching persepectives and as one woman's story progresses, the other womans story moves right along beside it. Friedlan's writing, while at times a bit repetetive, was clear and easy to follow. The history this book draws from as inspiration is so important to know and understand for every single woman. I am very excited for others to read this book and I am excited for this narrative to be published!

The pomegranate featured on the cover has many symbolic meanings in modern and ancient culture, one of the most prominent of those being fertility. Jessa, our main character, is a 31-year-old woman living with the emotional repercussions of her and her partner’s inability to conceive despite her desperate, almost obsessive, desire for a child. Scrambling to prove herself at the firm she works at and to make her now-deceased parents proud, she takes on a pro-bono case defending a woman being held at an ICE detention facility. In her work, she comes across a Supreme Court case from the 1920s regarding a young girl named Carrie Buck that makes her see the current case in a new and disturbing light. The symbolism of the pomegranate comes to fruition in more ways than one in this novel with alternative timelines.

If you think the name Carrie Buck rings a bell, you’re right, and having that information sets the theme expectations for this novel. Harping back to the real-life Supreme Court case of Buck vs. Bell, Friedland uses this novel as a way to explore eugenics and compulsory sterilization of women. If you aren’t already familiar with Buck’s story, I would suggest avoiding wiki before reading this book for full enjoyment of it.

Jostling back and forth between the present day timeline to the 1920s, Counting Backwards follows two women’s stories that come crashing together in a startling way, narrowing its eyes on the expectations of women in today’s society as well as the injustices of the criminal justice system, immigration, and reproductive rights.

My complaints with this novel are few but important to consider when you want a story to really soar: some of the dialogue felt forced and I often wished for Jessa and Carrie to be a more compelling characters. I never felt particularly moved by their characters, even with all of the emotional turmoil that they were going through. I also think that the story could have benefitted from going more in to the background of the Virginia State Colony—its origins, day-to-day life of the inmates, etc—where Carrie was held. Still, this is a unique novel that provides a look at not only an important piece in our history but at modern-day malpractice.

Thank you Harper Muse for the early copy in exchange for an honest review. Available Mar. 11 2025

I DNF’d this book at about 40%. It unfortunately just didn’t hold my attention and I wanted to focus on others. Really appreciate receiving this though & may give it another chance once it’s published.

Overall, it is a very enticing story and an attention grabber! It was very well written, and I loved the two stories crossing paths. the characters are tridimensional and you want to keep following them.
the ending I didn't go where I thought it could go (maybe the mistake is in my expectations? I also don't love open endings)

A great story that follows two timelines of strong women who are connected through history. I loved the historical fiction aspect of this book as well as the present day timeline. However I did find the husband Vance in the present day insufferable hence the 4 star instead of 5 star rating.

I was given an ARC by the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. Jessa, a lawyer and orphan has built herself the perfect life, so she thinks. After losing her parents, she is determined to have a cozy world and a family, the perfect investor husband, nice apartment, working her way up to partner at her law firm...until one day she takes a simple pro bono case that turns her world upside down. Jessa meets with Isobel over a deportation case but quickly discovers multiple women have been forcibly sterilized in ICE detention centers. Through another person's struggles Jessa quickly learns to stand on her own feet to advocate for an underserved population. Jessa is determined to fight this fight and do what no one will to protect the Jane Does who were affected, being forced to reassess everything around her as she does. Devastating, informative, alarming, inspiring, infuriating. Friedland, inspired by the Carrie Buck case of 1927 has delivered a book that will live in your mind for years to come, that reminds us that women's bodies have been controlled by others for many many years, and it is still happening today.

Jacqueline Friedland’s Counting Backwards is a gripping, emotionally charged novel that weaves together the stories of two women—Jessa Gidney, a lawyer uncovering a shocking medical malpractice conspiracy within an ICE detention center, and Carrie Buck, a young woman caught in the legal battles of the American eugenics movement. Alternating between the past and present, Friedland crafts a powerful narrative that dives deep into issues like reproductive rights, incarceration, and society’s expectations of women. Jessa’s discovery of her personal ties to Carrie’s case adds a haunting layer to an already compelling story, reminding us that progress is rarely a straight line and often comes at great cost. With its timely themes and unforgettable characters, Counting Backwards is an important, thought-provoking read that will stay with you long after the final page.

Counting Backwards focuses on past and current justices against women with a cast of characters who are motivated to expose the truth. This is a story filled with riveting conspiracy that is engaging to follow.

I really enjoyed this title, particularly the modern-day plot line. I didn't necessarily feel that the dual-time narrative was necessary, as the same effect could have been done through the modern-day alone in my opinion, but it was interesting to see the character of Carrie and her life. The ICE and fertility plotlines were both very impactful, and I was glad to see Jessa make a good choice for her in the end. I enjoyed the writing style a lot, and although this wouldn't be appropriate for a school library book club, I would recommend it to adult friends and colleagues.

Friedland skillfully explores themes of reproductive rights, medical ethics, and systemic injustice. Jessa’s journey into the world of pro bono work at an ICE detention centre unearths a chilling connection to Carrie Buck’s fight against forced sterilisation. The historical resonance between the two timelines is both poignant and unsettling, highlighting how issues of bodily autonomy and human dignity persist across generations.

What makes this novel stand out is its ability to balance legal drama with deeply personal stories, humanising both Jessa’s and Carrie’s struggles. The writing is compassionate and thought-provoking, drawing readers into the emotional core of each character’s battle for justice.

Counting Backwards is a powerful reminder of the ongoing fight for progress and the courage required to challenge injustice. It’s a compelling, unforgettable read that will leave you reflecting on its themes long after you turn the last page. Perfect for readers who enjoy socially conscious fiction with a strong emotional impact.

I received this book for free and I write this comment voluntarily. Let me brag about myself a little. I do choose the best ARCs. I am generally reluctant to give five stars to contemporary novels (because if Dostoyevsky is your five star how could give you five stars to anything) but this time I am giving out a full five stars. This novel is very timely, I wish it is published right now, given that it explores areas of woman rights, immigration laws and family relationships. We have two stories in the novel, one is Jesse's and the other is Carrie Buck's. Taking the real life story Carrie Buck and integrating it into a novel with a legal and fictional perspective is just great. The author is a law graduate which makes novel even more interesting. If you have never heard of Carrie Buck, do not research until you finish the novel so that you would be more surprised. I thank the author, NetGalley and the publisher for this free novel.

Counting Backwards is a gripping tale of two women, decades apart, navigating the cruelty of the medical, immigration and foster systems. I wanted to really like this book but I just found the main character, Jessa, really tough to connect with. I appreciate her stubbornness (which makes her a great lawyer) but like others have mentioned I just never could really like her. Also, the topics of the book (forced sterilization, brutality against women, sexual assualt, infertility) were just a little too much for me in this moment in time. While I didn't finished the book this time around, I think in the future I might pick it up and try again because the writing and storytelling really was beautiful. If you don't mind the topics, and you enjoy literary fiction, I think you'll love Counting Backwards.

I loved the idea of this book and Carrie's parts were great. I like the dual perspectives. I didn't like Jessa. I wanted to shake her on multiple occasions (really, every chapter). She would have a moment where she would realize that she was being annoying/self-righteous/selfish then do nothing to address it. Normally, I'm all in for a messy MC but she was a little tiring. Still, I loved the plot and it touched on important topics.

Counting backward is a story focused deeply on how women get abused medically, ripped off their free will and forced or tricked into sterilization procedures, not only during a timeline set a hundred years ago, but in our very present time. we follow a lawyer working on a case and uncovering a doctor’s agenda and their acts taking place in a detention center, and a girl in the 20s, mistreted, abused and locked up. what an amazing, great promise, right? well.
The more time passed, the more i lost interest in the book. i didn’t care about any scene outside of the work on the case and the 1920s timeline. the main character is struggling to get pregnant, which could truly have gotten me interested but somehow, it didn’t.
The theme is, of course, extremely important and interesting, and i loved reading about that aspect but honestly, there was barely anything else that hooked me in theat book, so i’d rather have read an article.
I didn’t care much about the main character, i didn’t like how easily she can be influenced into anything. reading her thoughts, the way she gets strongish reactions, felt somehow weak. i didn’t like the way they read or sounded.
Overall, for me, nothing was memorable about the book after you take out the non-fiction/real-life matter aspects (does that make sense?)
Given, i didn’t go past 60% so maybe everything would’ve changed and my mind would have been blown (i really doubt it but who knows!) but the book was putting me in a really bad reading slump and no one likes that right?

1927 Virginia - Carrie Buck has lead a life of hardship. Taken from her mother and fostered by a family who use her as an unpaid servant and farm hand she has not had it easy. But Virginia has some new laws and they will take more from Carrie then she ever thought possible.
2022 New York - Corporate lawyer Jess’s has taken on some pro bono work to help get her mind off her other problems. Appointed to help a young woman in an ICE facility she soon learns that this facility is taking a lot more then the inmate’s freedoms. Determined to make everyone responsible pay for the atrocities committed Jessa starts work on a class action suit. But the case will bring some skeletons out of her own closet and put a strain on her marriage and reputation.
This is not the first time I’ve read about the eugenics programs in the US but every time I am blown away at how widespread and long lived it was. And how well it was covered up.
Carrie’s story is based on a real case by a woman of the same name.
For the most part I enjoyed this book but I did think Jessa’s story was a bit more focused on her and her own problems. I would have maybe enjoyed having one of the inmates perspectives or more of Carrie’s story and a little less of Jessa. It was an interesting read though.
Thank you to @harpermusebooks and @netgalley for letting me have an advanced copy for review. Look for #countingbackwards March 11 2024.
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I liked this book! The author did a good job with the dual timelines in the 2020s and the 1920s. It was entertaining and intriguing, and I liked how there were lots of similarities called out between the two different eras and characters

Thank you to NetGalley, to the author, and to the publishers for this ARC in exchange for an honest review!!!

This was a good story that centered on Jessa in the present day. Written in two time lines, the second time line is about Carrie Buck, circa 1927. The two timelines were well-defined and easy to go between. Jessa is a lawyer, married and putting her career first. Supposedly the marriage is happy but Jessa soon learns that the happiness comes from her willingness to follow Vance’s lead. Jessa yearns to have a child but after four months of trying and one miscarriage, she is becoming obsessed with conceiving. When she is passed over for partner at the law firm, Jessa becomes involved with pro bono work at an ICE detention center. While trying to help inmates with their citizenship/visas, Jessa discovers a slew of unnecessary hysterectomies that have been done, unknowingly and without proper consent, on the inmates at this particular detention center. While researching the law, Jessa learns about Carrie Buck and also uncovers a secret about her own family history. The secret has huge repercussions on Vance and their marriage. This is an interesting and well-written book based on a true story. Thank you to NetGalley and Harper Muse for the complimentary digital ARC. This review is my own opinion.