Just John Films have optioned Jennifer Wright’s biography of Victorian abortionist Madame Restell, Variety can confirm, with the writer behind Netflix’s “Persuasian” film set to adapt the book for screen.

Published by Hachette, the New York Times-bestseller “Madame Restell: The Life, Death, and Resurrection of Old New York’s Most Fabulous, Fearless, and Infamous Abortionist” recounts the jaw-dropping life of British-born Madame Restell.

“’Madame Restell’ tells the story of one of the boldest women in American history; a self-made millionaire, a celebrity in her era, a woman beloved by many of her patients and despised by the men who wanted to control them, a businesswoman, a scofflaw, an immigrant,” reads the synopsis. “A shrewd capitalist and full-throated media war agitator, Madame Restell made it big in 19th century New York by providing safe abortions. The series tracks Madame Restell’s life, from early New York’s immigrant slums...