Some people may believe that the end of Roe v. Wade was simply a matter of luck: Following the then-black swan event of Donald Trump winning the 2016 election, Trump got to appoint two Supreme Court Justices in his first two years and a third after an octogenarian passed away weeks before the 2020 election.

The court then had a 6-3 conservative supermajority, and that was that. But the project to overturn the federal right to abortion was much more calculated, involving an alliance of Republican groups aiming to reshape Congress, the courts and American life. And while conservatives may have won a huge battle, its not the end of their unholy war.

Thats the story New York Times reporters Elizabeth Dias and Lisa Lerer tell in their new book, The Fall of Roe, a deeply reported accounting of the machinations of anti-abortion activists and lawmakers to reverse the 1973 ruling that reshaped both society and womens lives. The book recounts the conservative networks past victories, yes, but is also a window into the future, highlighting just how crucial Novembers elections are for our rights and freedoms.

Thats because if Trump wins a second term, this conservative coalition will bring even more litigation to strip away peoples rights and would likely face a Supreme Court thats even more untouchable than it is now.