The court case at the center of Protect and Defend revolves around the very complex issue of abortion. The book does not attempt a simple answer to the questions raised by abortion. In this way I hope to help penetrate all the sloganeering in order to confront whether abortion should be a political, rather than a moral, issue.
Abortion is the most inflammatory issue of our time.
I also consulted eminent lawyers and law professors regarding the legal and constitutional issues, and used my background as a trial lawyer to immerse myself in the jurisprudence of abortion. The result, I believe, is a rare and completely realistic depiction of judicial decision making in a landmark case. I tried to treat every issue in Protect and Defend with the same care. For example, to portray Senator Chad Palmer's experiences as Air Force officer kidnapped by terrorists, I interviewed former prisoners of war. I think that when a writer sets out to portray such important issues and experiences, he or she assumes the obligation to seek complete honesty and accuracy.