"A dramatic and timely novel." —Kirkus Reviews

At a time when following the law means survival, could breaking the law mean freedom?

Amidst the turmoil of Occupied Paris, 25-year-old teacher Jane Smith is tested as she discovers that sometimes doing the right thing requires breaking rules when her Aunt Mathilde draws her into the dangerous task of smuggling Jewish girls out of France. Adding another layer of danger, the school’s doctor seeks Jane’s help in providing abortions, thrusting her into a clandestine world.

Jane embarks on a mission to provide care for those marginalized by society, from migrant workers in California, to women in post-war Japan. When she enlists in the Navy, Jane falls in love with an admiral’s daughter, adding another secret and another rule broken.

In this first book of a trilogy that spans decades and continents, Jane’s journey paints a vivid portrait of essential care given without permission, without authority, and without apology. Without Permission is a poignant tale of love, the power and peril of secrets, and the emotional and spiritual essence of abortion care. Jane’s enduring quest for justice offers a window into the resilience and courage of women who live outside of the laws of men.

When your life’s work is illegal—
When your love breaks all the rules—
How far would you go
To be true to yourself?

In 1950, Jane Smith has survived Nazis, been jilted by an admiral’s daughter, and nearly lost the young woman she loves like a daughter to an illegal abortion. Now 36, Jane walks a razor’s edge—traveling 4,000 miles to France to do the work she was born for: providing abortion care while staying one step ahead of men’s laws. One mistake. One betrayal. It could all come crashing down.

Closer to home, there is one rejection she cannot risk.

Jane’s world is a web of loyalty, betrayal, secrets, broken rules, and lies. How much can she ask her friends to risk for her dream? How far will she go to claim a love she didn’t believe was possible? Can a once crumbling convent in the Parisian countryside become a refuge for women—or will a powerful enemy from the past destroy it all?

Without Authority, is the riveting second book in the Jane Smith Trilogy—a fearless, moving story about defiance, the power of chosen family, and the courage it takes to deliver vital abortion care without permission, without authority, and without apology.

This is not just a novel.
It is a call to courage.

A trilogy for our times—
Stories for all time—

In this last book of the Jane Smith Trilogy, the year is 1959. Jane is forty-five. She has survived Nazis and gendarmes, been jilted by an admiral’s daughter, nearly lost her favorite student to an illegal abortion, found the love of her life, provided abortion care under men’s noses for two decades, and confessed her secrets to the one whose judgment she feared most.

But new questions loom:

• Will the healing traditions of Indigenous women change everything at Our Lady?
• Will a devastating mistake cost Jane the love of her life?
• Will Jane succeed in her mission to transform abortion care?
• What is Jane’s soul-shattering apology and last message?

This is a story of facing demons, choosing family, and defying the Laws of men to provide abortion care without permission, without authority, and without apology.

The trilogy calls us to courage—reminding us that in a world ruled by patriarchy and the worst in human nature, we must be fi erce and express our fury.