Reviews: When No One Else Will (2)
“Being a woman has never been easy and Amanda Skenandore explores this in her latest novel.”
(Paperback)
by Karren's Reading Nook
1939, Chicago. Mimi Lukas husband Stan was a White Sox player, when he breaks his leg and it ends his career. As her husband tries to come to terms with never playing the games he loves again, he switches off from what’s happening at home and is depressed. The couple have two children Junior and Penny and her mother-in-law Halina lives with them, their saving are almost gone and Mimi decides to go back to nursing. Mimi has worked in over ten years, she gets fired from one hospital and bumps into an old friend Emily who mentions a women’s clinic in Loop needs a nurse. Dr. Gabler’s office isn't what Mimi was expecting, she thought it might be a private surgery and for wealthy patients. The clients come from all walks of life, they are treated with dignity and compassion, and post op care is provided but must never mention what happens here and it’s a secret. America is still in the grips of the depression and with the threat of another war looming people are worried and many can’t afford another mouth to feed. Police and state prosecutors are paid handsomely to turn a blind eye and Mimi becomes friends with her colleagues and an officer on a retainer. Mimi knows what she’s doing is helping desperate women and teenage girls and it's illegal, all they need is one person to report the clinic and it will all come crashing down and her secret will be revealed and her family will discover the truth and she doesn’t want to hurt them. Contraceptives in the 1930’s were expensive, hard to access, having an abortion was the last resort and the ladies had no other options. Five stars from me and if you've read Looking for Jane by Heather Marshall I suggest considering No One Else Will by Amanda Skenandore. It’s not about deciding what’s right or wrong but about choices and women having rights over their own bodies.
This reviewer received a free of charge product for review.
“I loved this historical fiction”
(Paperback)
by Lesley Lloyd
4.5⭐️ It’s a new subject matter for me, I always like something different. 1939 Chicago Mimi’s world has collapsed around her following her husbands promising baseball career imploding following an injury. Stan is living in denial and inertia so Mimi is left to support the family. Mimi starts work in a women’s clinic. I was drawn by the topic, but it’s the characters that sold it to me. This is a slower paced very character driven story, it shows the moral dilemma, the need of the service, the risks, and the costs to the individuals involved. It’s a moving story. The author really drew me into their world and struggles. I really liked Mimi, who I admired, she held her family together at a time of crisis, she could see the need for the service they provided, my heart went out to her. I even warmed slightly to Mimi’s mother in law at the end. The letters from Mimi’s sister Jenny are especially moving. WOW do read/ listen the authors notes they are eye opening. It may be historical fiction but the topic still has pertinence in current times for some. Due to the subject matter this book might not be for everyone.
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When No One Else Will

When No One Else Will

Fiction & Poetry, Modern & Contemporary Fiction
Amanda Skenandore (author)
Paperback Published on: 26/05/2026
Price: £16.99
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