Premium

The conflicted life of the woman at the centre of Roe v Wade

By Joshua Prager
New York Times·
7 mins to read
The conflicted life of the woman at the centre of Roe v Wade
Norma McCorvey in 1970. Photo / Getty Images

Norma McCorvey, the Jane Roe at the centre of Roe v Wade, was an imperfect plaintiff.

When she undertook Roe as a young single woman in Dallas, she gave no thought to the fight for reproductive rights. She was barely getting by as a waitress, had twice given birth to

Save