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Looking for Jane
A debut about three women whose lives are bound together by a long-lost letter, a mother’s love, and a secret network of women fighting for the right to choose—inspired by true stories.
2017: When Angela Creighton discovers a mysterious letter containing a life-shattering confession, she is determined to find the intended recipient. Her search takes her back to the 1970s when a group of daring women operated an illegal underground abortion network in Toronto known only by its whispered code name: Jane.
1971: As a teenager, Dr. Evelyn Taylor was sent to a home for “fallen” women where she was forced to give up her baby for adoption—a trauma she has never recovered from. Despite harrowing police raids and the constant threat of arrest, she joins the Jane Network as an abortion provider, determined to give other women the choice she never had.
1980: After discovering a shocking secret about her family, twenty-year-old Nancy Mitchell begins to question everything she has ever known. When she unexpectedly becomes pregnant, she feels like she has no one to turn to for help. Grappling with her decision, she locates “Jane” and finds a place of her own alongside Dr. Taylor within the network’s ranks, but she can never escape the lies that haunt her.
2017: When Angela Creighton discovers a mysterious letter containing a life-shattering confession, she is determined to find the intended recipient. Her search takes her back to the 1970s when a group of daring women operated an illegal underground abortion network in Toronto known only by its whispered code name: Jane.
1971: As a teenager, Dr. Evelyn Taylor was sent to a home for “fallen” women where she was forced to give up her baby for adoption—a trauma she has never recovered from. Despite harrowing police raids and the constant threat of arrest, she joins the Jane Network as an abortion provider, determined to give other women the choice she never had.
1980: After discovering a shocking secret about her family, twenty-year-old Nancy Mitchell begins to question everything she has ever known. When she unexpectedly becomes pregnant, she feels like she has no one to turn to for help. Grappling with her decision, she locates “Jane” and finds a place of her own alongside Dr. Taylor within the network’s ranks, but she can never escape the lies that haunt her.
400 pages, Hardcover
First published March 1, 2022
About the author
Heather Marshall
1 book713 followersHeather Marshall lives with her family near Toronto. She completed master’s degrees in Canadian history and political science, and worked in politics and communications before turning her attention to her true passion: storytelling. Looking for Jane is her debut novel. Visit her website and connect on social channels at HeatherMarshallAuthor.com.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 3,915 reviews
March 1, 2022
A FANTASTIC DEBUT by fellow Canadian Heather Marshall 🇨🇦 This story struck me hard and just captivated me page after page!! The story of 3 women that ever so nicely flows all together.
The author's notes at the end are very interesting. I'll just go by what she really says. At first glance one might think this novel is just about abortion or adoption. It's really about, Motherhood.. As she said, "Wanting to be a mother and not wanting to be a mother and all the grey areas." This book is a whole lot about women supporting each other! I think you can be on either side of the issue and still find enjoyment in this story.
There's so much packed into this book. It starts off with one woman finding an old letter tucked away in a drawer of an old antique's shop she works in. The story goes back in time to a place called, "St. Agnes's Home for Unwed Mothers,” in Toronto where young girls are sent away by their families to have their babies and then for their babies to be put up for adoption. The places in the novel are fictional but the story is based on factual history. All the women in the novel are dealing with things to do with, "Motherhood."
This novel was mostly based in Toronto (with some parts in Ottawa.) As a Canadian and GTA (Greater Toronto Area) resident I loved being able to picture the areas that were depicted in the novel. It did share some light on some horrible Canadian history of separating children from families. In this case forced adoptions. It did remind me in part of the horrible treatment of the Indigenous people. As far as the abortion parts in the novel - All I remember from my early teen years in the 1980's was when Dr. Henry Morgentaler's clinic was raided and he was put on trial. There is a little of that history in the novel too.
I highly recommend this novel for lovers of Women's Fiction and Historical Fiction based on factual accounts. This is an author to watch out for. Cannot wait to see what she writes next.
On an off-note regardless of your political thoughts: I just found it pretty ironic when I was reading the accounts of the abortion protestors taking their cause to Ottawa to our then Prime Minister Trudeau (Pierre) and the recent happenings in my country with our present Prime Minister Trudeau (Justin, the son of the former) and the trucker protests. Strangely, to think how this book was written before the later protests yet I sort of felt them happen simultaneously.
I'd like to kindly thank NetGalley and Simon and Schuster Canada for granting me access to this Advance Reader Copy.
The author's notes at the end are very interesting. I'll just go by what she really says. At first glance one might think this novel is just about abortion or adoption. It's really about, Motherhood.. As she said, "Wanting to be a mother and not wanting to be a mother and all the grey areas." This book is a whole lot about women supporting each other! I think you can be on either side of the issue and still find enjoyment in this story.
There's so much packed into this book. It starts off with one woman finding an old letter tucked away in a drawer of an old antique's shop she works in. The story goes back in time to a place called, "St. Agnes's Home for Unwed Mothers,” in Toronto where young girls are sent away by their families to have their babies and then for their babies to be put up for adoption. The places in the novel are fictional but the story is based on factual history. All the women in the novel are dealing with things to do with, "Motherhood."
This novel was mostly based in Toronto (with some parts in Ottawa.) As a Canadian and GTA (Greater Toronto Area) resident I loved being able to picture the areas that were depicted in the novel. It did share some light on some horrible Canadian history of separating children from families. In this case forced adoptions. It did remind me in part of the horrible treatment of the Indigenous people. As far as the abortion parts in the novel - All I remember from my early teen years in the 1980's was when Dr. Henry Morgentaler's clinic was raided and he was put on trial. There is a little of that history in the novel too.
I highly recommend this novel for lovers of Women's Fiction and Historical Fiction based on factual accounts. This is an author to watch out for. Cannot wait to see what she writes next.
On an off-note regardless of your political thoughts: I just found it pretty ironic when I was reading the accounts of the abortion protestors taking their cause to Ottawa to our then Prime Minister Trudeau (Pierre) and the recent happenings in my country with our present Prime Minister Trudeau (Justin, the son of the former) and the trucker protests. Strangely, to think how this book was written before the later protests yet I sort of felt them happen simultaneously.
I'd like to kindly thank NetGalley and Simon and Schuster Canada for granting me access to this Advance Reader Copy.
February 26, 2022
If I could give more than 5 Stars, I would!
Looking for Jane is a historical fiction novel based on the real Jane Collective, an underground network of courageous women, including some doctors and nurses, who provided safe abortions in the late 60s, 70s and early 80s. The novel takes place mostly in Toronto Ontario (Canada), but partly in Ottawa Ontario and follows three women in different timelines, from about 1960 to 2017, whose lives become entwined. Be aware that there is mention of abortion and suicide but as the author says, the book is "about motherhood".
This is an absolutely amazing debut novel which I highly recommend no matter what your views are. The writing is fantastic and incidents have a ring of truth to them since the author did extensive research into maternity homes, abortion, and the effect on mostly young girls. I really didn't expect to find a twist in this book but at about 90% I was totally astounded to find I had been under an incorrect assumption all along. It's not often a book brings me to tears but this one did, as did the author's notes. I don't feel like my review has done this book justice so all I can say is, 'You have to read it!'.
I'm old enough to remember hearing rumours about girls who "got in trouble" and were sent away for the better part of a year, doing modelling in New York ... ya, right! I can also remember meeting a friend of a friend who had to travel to the United States for an abortion. Then, finally, on January 28, 1988, abortion became legal in Canada.
At the time I was reading this there were a number of protestors, mostly truckers, camped in downtown Ottawa demanding Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's resignation amongst other things (tbh, I was a little confused about what their demands were). I had to chuckle a little because there's a scene in this book where a group of protestors confront Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau during a House of Commons Question Period in May 1970 demanding free abortions for women. For those who aren't familiar with Canadian history, the current Prime Minister is the son of the former Prime Minister.
My thanks to Simon & Schuster Canada via Netgalley for the opportunity to read this important novel. All opinions expressed are my own.
Publication Date: March 1, 2022
Looking for Jane is a historical fiction novel based on the real Jane Collective, an underground network of courageous women, including some doctors and nurses, who provided safe abortions in the late 60s, 70s and early 80s. The novel takes place mostly in Toronto Ontario (Canada), but partly in Ottawa Ontario and follows three women in different timelines, from about 1960 to 2017, whose lives become entwined. Be aware that there is mention of abortion and suicide but as the author says, the book is "about motherhood".
This is an absolutely amazing debut novel which I highly recommend no matter what your views are. The writing is fantastic and incidents have a ring of truth to them since the author did extensive research into maternity homes, abortion, and the effect on mostly young girls. I really didn't expect to find a twist in this book but at about 90% I was totally astounded to find I had been under an incorrect assumption all along. It's not often a book brings me to tears but this one did, as did the author's notes. I don't feel like my review has done this book justice so all I can say is, 'You have to read it!'.
I'm old enough to remember hearing rumours about girls who "got in trouble" and were sent away for the better part of a year, doing modelling in New York ... ya, right! I can also remember meeting a friend of a friend who had to travel to the United States for an abortion. Then, finally, on January 28, 1988, abortion became legal in Canada.
At the time I was reading this there were a number of protestors, mostly truckers, camped in downtown Ottawa demanding Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's resignation amongst other things (tbh, I was a little confused about what their demands were). I had to chuckle a little because there's a scene in this book where a group of protestors confront Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau during a House of Commons Question Period in May 1970 demanding free abortions for women. For those who aren't familiar with Canadian history, the current Prime Minister is the son of the former Prime Minister.
My thanks to Simon & Schuster Canada via Netgalley for the opportunity to read this important novel. All opinions expressed are my own.
Publication Date: March 1, 2022
February 12, 2023
4 eye-opening stars!
A misplaced letter arrives seven years after its intended delivery. The information enclosed is life altering news for more than one woman. The letter leads to an investigation and uncovering of long buried secrets.
The main topic that this highly controversial book explores is the underground abortion network in Canada in the 1970’s and 1980’s. During this time, when abortion was illegal, a secretive network of doctors, nurses and volunteers risked their lives to offer safe abortions to women in need. (Sadly, it goes without saying, that there were countless unsafe abortion options utilized during this time as well). This book shares the perspective of one of these underground teams of women.
Another eye-opening piece of history that this book explores is the postwar-era maternity home system/forced adoption mandate in Canada. “Fallen women” were sent to live as “inmates” in facilities during their pregnancy where they were offered no preparation for their upcoming birthing and forced to give up their babies.
Told through multiple character perspectives, this book offers deep insight into these horrific times and the choice-less situations countless women faced.
Though this novel covers such heavy topics, the writing itself and characters kept the tone lighter, almost having a “cute” feel at times. There was a sweetness to the characters and dialogue that kept me at somewhat of an emotional distance. This is just a “me issue” as I’m not a fan of cuteness in my books but I think the author writing the characters this way will appeal to a greater audience and reach more readers on a lighter level, which is a good thing.
It was an excellent book that I highly recommend, but I wasn’t as greatly impacted on an emotional level as I would have expected. I also found I did get confused between the main female characters and timelines a few times.
Overall, it was a fascinating, shocking and educational book revolving around the sisterhood and strength of women during an important time in our history.
A misplaced letter arrives seven years after its intended delivery. The information enclosed is life altering news for more than one woman. The letter leads to an investigation and uncovering of long buried secrets.
The main topic that this highly controversial book explores is the underground abortion network in Canada in the 1970’s and 1980’s. During this time, when abortion was illegal, a secretive network of doctors, nurses and volunteers risked their lives to offer safe abortions to women in need. (Sadly, it goes without saying, that there were countless unsafe abortion options utilized during this time as well). This book shares the perspective of one of these underground teams of women.
Another eye-opening piece of history that this book explores is the postwar-era maternity home system/forced adoption mandate in Canada. “Fallen women” were sent to live as “inmates” in facilities during their pregnancy where they were offered no preparation for their upcoming birthing and forced to give up their babies.
Told through multiple character perspectives, this book offers deep insight into these horrific times and the choice-less situations countless women faced.
Though this novel covers such heavy topics, the writing itself and characters kept the tone lighter, almost having a “cute” feel at times. There was a sweetness to the characters and dialogue that kept me at somewhat of an emotional distance. This is just a “me issue” as I’m not a fan of cuteness in my books but I think the author writing the characters this way will appeal to a greater audience and reach more readers on a lighter level, which is a good thing.
It was an excellent book that I highly recommend, but I wasn’t as greatly impacted on an emotional level as I would have expected. I also found I did get confused between the main female characters and timelines a few times.
Overall, it was a fascinating, shocking and educational book revolving around the sisterhood and strength of women during an important time in our history.
March 11, 2022
Looking for Jane by Heather Marshall takes the reader through the history of abortion in Canada during the twentieth century. This is a work of fiction and it is the author’s debut novel. This is a story well- told because of the author’s skill in introducing one young woman for each era of the progress of abortion until its legalization in the late eighties. Evelyn represents the early seventies: becoming pregnant in her teens, her parents arrange to have her placed in a “home for wayward girls” in order to hide the shame they feel. Horrible abuse and cruelty are meted out on the young women who are as good as prisoners. Nancy is pregnant in her early twenties in 1980 and has an illegal abortion in the office of a doctor who was risking her freedom and career in order to provide a choice for women. Nancy soon becomes part of the medical yet illegal network to keep girls and women away from back-alley terminations. In 2017, Angela finds a letter that had been misplaced for many years and takes on the investigation of the sender as well as the addressee, which brings about a chapter about forced adoption at a time when there were no other alternatives, often ruining the lives of mother and child. Looking for Jane highlights the courage and hardships of young women in an era of change. Heather Marshall has written a memorable and illuminating novel about a difficult time and a difficult subject. This book will stay with me for a long time. Highly recommended. Thank you to Simon & Schuster Canada, NetGalley and the author in exchange for an honest review.
December 28, 2023
4.5 rounded up to 5 for GR! this book was fantastic. probably could have made my top 15, but certainly in my top 20. i picked this up after seeing it highly reviewed and rated in the 2023 goodreads awards and i’m so happy i did!
if you liked TAKE MY HAND or HOUSE OF EVE, this is for you! historical fiction that does not follow a war (or WW2 lol) and deals a lot with women’s rights, abortion/fertility, etc.
the ending was so good and just made me want to give these girls a hug. it has 3 POVs and follows 3 women who all get intertwined in a shocking way and it was so well done. i learned SO much from this book and really think this should be required reading in school. it’s set in Canada but my goodness all of this applies to the US (even though it’s set in the 60s/70s😭😭).
it’s a book that will stick with me and make me think for awhile ❤️ would be great to discuss with others in a book club setting. further shows you how resilient and amazing and strong women are 🙏🏼
my two issues:
- the middle drag a bit. i felt like we got ALOT of Evelyn and Nancy’s POV w their work in the Jane Network… which i get why (esp after the ending), but it made the story drag slightly from a pacing POV
- the POVs were a bit hard for me to keep track of on audio. i also favored one (Evelyn) much more than the other two, so i was always eager to get back to Evelyn’s story when i was in the others
🎧 i did the audio and (clearly) liked it, but it might be a bit easier to follow in book form with the varying POVs!
if you liked TAKE MY HAND or HOUSE OF EVE, this is for you! historical fiction that does not follow a war (or WW2 lol) and deals a lot with women’s rights, abortion/fertility, etc.
the ending was so good and just made me want to give these girls a hug. it has 3 POVs and follows 3 women who all get intertwined in a shocking way and it was so well done. i learned SO much from this book and really think this should be required reading in school. it’s set in Canada but my goodness all of this applies to the US (even though it’s set in the 60s/70s😭😭).
it’s a book that will stick with me and make me think for awhile ❤️ would be great to discuss with others in a book club setting. further shows you how resilient and amazing and strong women are 🙏🏼
my two issues:
- the middle drag a bit. i felt like we got ALOT of Evelyn and Nancy’s POV w their work in the Jane Network… which i get why (esp after the ending), but it made the story drag slightly from a pacing POV
- the POVs were a bit hard for me to keep track of on audio. i also favored one (Evelyn) much more than the other two, so i was always eager to get back to Evelyn’s story when i was in the others
🎧 i did the audio and (clearly) liked it, but it might be a bit easier to follow in book form with the varying POVs!
February 19, 2023
Looking for Jane by Heather Marshall was a very powerful and timely debut novel. According to author, Heather Marshall, Looking for Jane was about motherhood, first and foremost. It was also about so much more as well. Heather Marshall’s debut novel was well written and extensively researched. The characters, although fictional, were so well depicted that I developed a strong sense of familiarity with them and missed them after I finished reading the book. Looking for Jane took place in Canada. It explored the struggles women encountered concerning their reproductive rights during the 1960’s and beyond and up until abortions became legal. Heather Marshall wrote about the ongoing battle women faced in order for them to be allowed to take charge of their own bodies, make their own choices and be able to get the desired outcomes they chose for themselves. The common factor here was choice by and for the woman in question. Looking for Jane was written in three distinct timelines that supported three different women, their stories, voices and one letter that connected all three of them.
In 2017, Angela Creighton, found herself living in Toronto, Canada in an apartment she shared with her wife Tina. Angela and Tina had decided that they wanted to have a baby and that Angela would carry it. During this happy yet stressful time in both Angela’s and Tina’s life, Angela had suffered two miscarriages. When Angela had been pregnant, she was fired from her job. One of Angela’s aunt owned an antique shop and was ready to retire so she asked Angela to run it for her. It was a good opportunity for Angela so she accepted the offer. One day Angela was organizing and cleaning some things out when she came upon a letter that had been written seven years ago. The letter was addressed to the tenant who had rented the apartment above the antique shop but somehow had found its way to the antique shop instead. The mailboxes for both the antique shop and the apartment shared the same numerical street number. The only distinction was that one had the letter A next to the number and the other had the letter B. Angela felt compelled to open the letter even though she knew that she shouldn’t. The contents of the letter revealed a confession that might impact the intended recipient’s life. Angela knew that this letter could not be ignored. She was determined to find the person, Nancy Mitchell, that the letter had been intended for. There were two letters in the envelope. The first letter that Angela read revealed that Nancy had been adopted and was written by the mother that had adopted Nancy. The second letter was written by Nancy’s biological mother. It revealed that her biological mother had not wanted to give her up, that she would continue to look for her everyday of her life, that she had named her Jane and that she had knitted the yellow booties for her. Angela began an extensive internet search. She became obsessed with finding Nancy and refused to give up. Would her efforts prove to be successful?
Evelyn Taylor had grown up in a rather strict home. She and her cousin Clara were as close as sisters. They had been practically raised together. It was not surprising that Clara had confided in Evelyn that she had gotten pregnant. Of course, she couldn’t have the baby or let her parents know that she was pregnant. There were not a lot of options for young women in the 1960’s. Clara had found out about someone who could help her get rid of the baby for $800. In those days, “back ally abortions” were very common but also very dangerous. After the procedure, Clara started hemorrhaging and Evelyn had no choice but to get Clara to a hospital. The back alley procedure, the conditions of the surgery room and the outcome traumatized both girls for years to come. One of the doctors at the hospital where Evelyn had taken Clara told Evelyn something that night that she never forgot. Evelyn was told to ask for “Jane” if she ever found herself in this situation again. It didn’t make a lot of sense to Evelyn then but she never forgot it.
In 1971, Evelyn was engaged when her fiancé died from a heart attack. Evelyn was pregnant with his baby. Her parents were ashamed for her. They immediately made arrangements for Evelyn to be placed in St. Agnes’ Home for Unwed Mothers. As Evelyn’s father dropped her off in front of the foreboding looking structure, he didn’t even look at Evelyn or accompany her inside. Instead, he focused his gaze directly in front of him and waited for her to open her door and go in. He left immediately and without even saying goodbye. Evelyn’s parents had disowned her. The home was run by the church and government. All the girls that stayed at St. Agnes’s were expected to have their babies and then they were forced to give them up for adoption. The conditions at the home were dreadful. Each girl was expected to carry out the tasks assigned to them. They were instructed not to tell the other girls anything about themselves, not even their last names or how they had gotten pregnant. The girls were encouraged to write letters to their families but those letters were never mailed. St. Agnes’s was more like a jail than an inviting house for unwed mothers. The trauma Evelyn endured from those days stayed with her for her entire life.
When Evelyn finally departed from St. Agnes’s, she went on and became a doctor of gynecology. Evelyn wanted to help women by providing safe abortions. In the 1970’s, abortions were still illegal. Evelyn learned the procedure from one of the best doctors of that time. She was secretly helping women and allowing them to make their own choices about their pregnancies. Then Dr. Evelyn Taylor learned about the “Jane network “. Even though their were lots of dangers associated with the Jane network, Evelyn supported the cause and became a doctor the network could count on to perform the abortions in a safe way. Evelyn jeopardized her career and risked being put in jail every time she performed the abortions but she was giving these women the choice they desired and that made the risks worthwhile. Through the Jane network, so many more abortions were able to be performed.
In 1980, Nancy Mitchell was a single young woman living in Toronto, Canada. Her grandmother was in a nursing home and Nancy usually visited with her once a week. On one such visit, Nancy’s grandmother made a comment that made no sense to her. Her grandmother had indicated that her parents had not brought her home from the hospital after her birth but had gotten her from somewhere. Nancy had always suspected that she might have been adopted but never knew for sure. She did not look like either one of her parents and her mother was so overprotective of her. One night when Nancy’s parents were out for the evening, Nancy started snooping around to find the proof she needed. Locked away in a box in the back of one her mother’s drawers, Nancy found a note from her biological mother and a pair of yellow booties. That was all the proof that Nancy needed but she never found the right moment to confront her parents and ask them to tell her the truth.
While Nancy was single, she had dated a man who was completely wrong for her. Even though they had used protection, Nancy had gotten pregnant. Nancy knew she did not want this child at this time in her life. She chose to get an abortion. Abortions were still illegal. Through some channels, Nancy ended up having the abortion performed by Dr. Evelyn Taylor. Later, Nancy became a volunteer in the Jane network and worked side by side with Dr. Evelyn Taylor. Nancy was able to use her experience to help make the patients more aware and comfortable with their choice.
I really enjoyed reading Looking for Jane by Heather Marshall. Her author notes at the conclusion of the book were impressive and so informative. Looking for Jane was inspired by the results of the many interviews Heather Marshall conducted with women that lived during those times and experienced the challenges that faced them then. How timely the publication of this book was in conjunction with the United States Supreme Court’s decision to overturn Roe vs Wade. By making abortions illegal in many individual states in the United States, women have taken giant steps backward in their rights to choose. A woman should have the final say over her own body. I never was in the position of having to consider having an abortion, but if I had been, I would have wanted to make the best decision for myself, not to be told that I couldn’t. Looking for Jane was a very thought provoking and poignant book. It was about motherhood, adoption, choices, the history of abortion in Canada, and bravery. I really enjoyed this book and highly recommend it.
Thank you to Atria Books for allowing me to read Looking for Jane by Heather Marshall through Netgalley in exchange for a voluntary and unbiased review.
In 2017, Angela Creighton, found herself living in Toronto, Canada in an apartment she shared with her wife Tina. Angela and Tina had decided that they wanted to have a baby and that Angela would carry it. During this happy yet stressful time in both Angela’s and Tina’s life, Angela had suffered two miscarriages. When Angela had been pregnant, she was fired from her job. One of Angela’s aunt owned an antique shop and was ready to retire so she asked Angela to run it for her. It was a good opportunity for Angela so she accepted the offer. One day Angela was organizing and cleaning some things out when she came upon a letter that had been written seven years ago. The letter was addressed to the tenant who had rented the apartment above the antique shop but somehow had found its way to the antique shop instead. The mailboxes for both the antique shop and the apartment shared the same numerical street number. The only distinction was that one had the letter A next to the number and the other had the letter B. Angela felt compelled to open the letter even though she knew that she shouldn’t. The contents of the letter revealed a confession that might impact the intended recipient’s life. Angela knew that this letter could not be ignored. She was determined to find the person, Nancy Mitchell, that the letter had been intended for. There were two letters in the envelope. The first letter that Angela read revealed that Nancy had been adopted and was written by the mother that had adopted Nancy. The second letter was written by Nancy’s biological mother. It revealed that her biological mother had not wanted to give her up, that she would continue to look for her everyday of her life, that she had named her Jane and that she had knitted the yellow booties for her. Angela began an extensive internet search. She became obsessed with finding Nancy and refused to give up. Would her efforts prove to be successful?
Evelyn Taylor had grown up in a rather strict home. She and her cousin Clara were as close as sisters. They had been practically raised together. It was not surprising that Clara had confided in Evelyn that she had gotten pregnant. Of course, she couldn’t have the baby or let her parents know that she was pregnant. There were not a lot of options for young women in the 1960’s. Clara had found out about someone who could help her get rid of the baby for $800. In those days, “back ally abortions” were very common but also very dangerous. After the procedure, Clara started hemorrhaging and Evelyn had no choice but to get Clara to a hospital. The back alley procedure, the conditions of the surgery room and the outcome traumatized both girls for years to come. One of the doctors at the hospital where Evelyn had taken Clara told Evelyn something that night that she never forgot. Evelyn was told to ask for “Jane” if she ever found herself in this situation again. It didn’t make a lot of sense to Evelyn then but she never forgot it.
In 1971, Evelyn was engaged when her fiancé died from a heart attack. Evelyn was pregnant with his baby. Her parents were ashamed for her. They immediately made arrangements for Evelyn to be placed in St. Agnes’ Home for Unwed Mothers. As Evelyn’s father dropped her off in front of the foreboding looking structure, he didn’t even look at Evelyn or accompany her inside. Instead, he focused his gaze directly in front of him and waited for her to open her door and go in. He left immediately and without even saying goodbye. Evelyn’s parents had disowned her. The home was run by the church and government. All the girls that stayed at St. Agnes’s were expected to have their babies and then they were forced to give them up for adoption. The conditions at the home were dreadful. Each girl was expected to carry out the tasks assigned to them. They were instructed not to tell the other girls anything about themselves, not even their last names or how they had gotten pregnant. The girls were encouraged to write letters to their families but those letters were never mailed. St. Agnes’s was more like a jail than an inviting house for unwed mothers. The trauma Evelyn endured from those days stayed with her for her entire life.
When Evelyn finally departed from St. Agnes’s, she went on and became a doctor of gynecology. Evelyn wanted to help women by providing safe abortions. In the 1970’s, abortions were still illegal. Evelyn learned the procedure from one of the best doctors of that time. She was secretly helping women and allowing them to make their own choices about their pregnancies. Then Dr. Evelyn Taylor learned about the “Jane network “. Even though their were lots of dangers associated with the Jane network, Evelyn supported the cause and became a doctor the network could count on to perform the abortions in a safe way. Evelyn jeopardized her career and risked being put in jail every time she performed the abortions but she was giving these women the choice they desired and that made the risks worthwhile. Through the Jane network, so many more abortions were able to be performed.
In 1980, Nancy Mitchell was a single young woman living in Toronto, Canada. Her grandmother was in a nursing home and Nancy usually visited with her once a week. On one such visit, Nancy’s grandmother made a comment that made no sense to her. Her grandmother had indicated that her parents had not brought her home from the hospital after her birth but had gotten her from somewhere. Nancy had always suspected that she might have been adopted but never knew for sure. She did not look like either one of her parents and her mother was so overprotective of her. One night when Nancy’s parents were out for the evening, Nancy started snooping around to find the proof she needed. Locked away in a box in the back of one her mother’s drawers, Nancy found a note from her biological mother and a pair of yellow booties. That was all the proof that Nancy needed but she never found the right moment to confront her parents and ask them to tell her the truth.
While Nancy was single, she had dated a man who was completely wrong for her. Even though they had used protection, Nancy had gotten pregnant. Nancy knew she did not want this child at this time in her life. She chose to get an abortion. Abortions were still illegal. Through some channels, Nancy ended up having the abortion performed by Dr. Evelyn Taylor. Later, Nancy became a volunteer in the Jane network and worked side by side with Dr. Evelyn Taylor. Nancy was able to use her experience to help make the patients more aware and comfortable with their choice.
I really enjoyed reading Looking for Jane by Heather Marshall. Her author notes at the conclusion of the book were impressive and so informative. Looking for Jane was inspired by the results of the many interviews Heather Marshall conducted with women that lived during those times and experienced the challenges that faced them then. How timely the publication of this book was in conjunction with the United States Supreme Court’s decision to overturn Roe vs Wade. By making abortions illegal in many individual states in the United States, women have taken giant steps backward in their rights to choose. A woman should have the final say over her own body. I never was in the position of having to consider having an abortion, but if I had been, I would have wanted to make the best decision for myself, not to be told that I couldn’t. Looking for Jane was a very thought provoking and poignant book. It was about motherhood, adoption, choices, the history of abortion in Canada, and bravery. I really enjoyed this book and highly recommend it.
Thank you to Atria Books for allowing me to read Looking for Jane by Heather Marshall through Netgalley in exchange for a voluntary and unbiased review.
July 13, 2022
Wow, just… wow. This book is absolutely heartbreaking, brilliant, historically accurate, and yet poignantly relevant to todays world.
The below review was written minutes after reading the last page and closing off the book. It is much more emotionally charged than my usual reviews. But because of the subject matter I have chosen to leave it as is.
I can barely find the words to describe the multitude of emotions, feelings, and frustration I have after reading these combined stories. From illegal abortions to adoption practices to lies lived for a lifetime to the excitement of abortion being legalized; Looking for Jane will take you into an account of what life was once life, what life is still like for some, and what life is about to be like for so many American women. The relevancy of this novel cannot be overstated at this point in time.
While I am a childless woman, and will never have a baby of my own (partially because of infertility, and partially by my choice); all I can say is that without a doubt MY BODY is mine. And no one; not the government, the church, other women or men, or even the father should be allowed to use my body for their own means or gains. Nor should they be allowed to decide what does or does not happen with it.
Looking for Jane brings so many poignant pieces of the struggle together that by the end all I can do is still here stunned, breathless, angry, and resolute that abortion MUST remain a woman’s right. It MUST remain our choice what happens to our bodies.
All I can really say to fellow women, supporters of the right to choice, those scared of what the reversal of Roe vs. Wade means for other basic human rights, and any men whom have had to grapple with what the women around them have done: READ THIS BOOK.
While set in (my home country) Canada (and written by a fellow Canadian); it tells the illegal abortion networking stories of all of North America; and the atrocities put on pregnant women when the church was all too involved in ‘health and safety’.
I won’t lie, it’s nearly 3am, I couldn’t put this down in the end; and now I’m riled up with anger, fear (for the future), frustration, and extreme sadness all at once because some people can’t mind their own business and worry about their own lives and how what they do impacts others. So forgive my extreme emotional reaction at this exact moment.
One thing I have always believed, and has just been reinforced for me by Heather Marshall, my body is MINE! Don’t tell me what I can and can’t do with it. Especially when the emotional turmoil of said decision will haunt the woman forever. No woman takes abortion lightly. No one. I’ve seen the haunting look in other women’s eyes who made the hard choice, and while I’ve never met someone who regrets their abortion; without a doubt they all hurt from it, even decades later.
If nothing else, Heather Marshall depicts the haunting grief all women feel either for: themselves or their fellow females (be it lovers, family or friends) in a way that I believe will remain with any reader forever.
Please note: I received an eARC of this book from the publisher via NetGalley. This is an honest and unbiased review.
The below review was written minutes after reading the last page and closing off the book. It is much more emotionally charged than my usual reviews. But because of the subject matter I have chosen to leave it as is.
I can barely find the words to describe the multitude of emotions, feelings, and frustration I have after reading these combined stories. From illegal abortions to adoption practices to lies lived for a lifetime to the excitement of abortion being legalized; Looking for Jane will take you into an account of what life was once life, what life is still like for some, and what life is about to be like for so many American women. The relevancy of this novel cannot be overstated at this point in time.
While I am a childless woman, and will never have a baby of my own (partially because of infertility, and partially by my choice); all I can say is that without a doubt MY BODY is mine. And no one; not the government, the church, other women or men, or even the father should be allowed to use my body for their own means or gains. Nor should they be allowed to decide what does or does not happen with it.
Looking for Jane brings so many poignant pieces of the struggle together that by the end all I can do is still here stunned, breathless, angry, and resolute that abortion MUST remain a woman’s right. It MUST remain our choice what happens to our bodies.
All I can really say to fellow women, supporters of the right to choice, those scared of what the reversal of Roe vs. Wade means for other basic human rights, and any men whom have had to grapple with what the women around them have done: READ THIS BOOK.
While set in (my home country) Canada (and written by a fellow Canadian); it tells the illegal abortion networking stories of all of North America; and the atrocities put on pregnant women when the church was all too involved in ‘health and safety’.
I won’t lie, it’s nearly 3am, I couldn’t put this down in the end; and now I’m riled up with anger, fear (for the future), frustration, and extreme sadness all at once because some people can’t mind their own business and worry about their own lives and how what they do impacts others. So forgive my extreme emotional reaction at this exact moment.
One thing I have always believed, and has just been reinforced for me by Heather Marshall, my body is MINE! Don’t tell me what I can and can’t do with it. Especially when the emotional turmoil of said decision will haunt the woman forever. No woman takes abortion lightly. No one. I’ve seen the haunting look in other women’s eyes who made the hard choice, and while I’ve never met someone who regrets their abortion; without a doubt they all hurt from it, even decades later.
If nothing else, Heather Marshall depicts the haunting grief all women feel either for: themselves or their fellow females (be it lovers, family or friends) in a way that I believe will remain with any reader forever.
Please note: I received an eARC of this book from the publisher via NetGalley. This is an honest and unbiased review.
March 25, 2022
This is a debut by a Canadian author.
The main topic here is abortion, and although it’s a work of fiction, the storyline is based on facts.
I did appreciate the writing, for most part.
The development of the story, told by 3 POV and having different timelines, was interesting but a bit slow.
Because of the strong start, I was expecting a heartbreaking story, but unfortunately I did not connect.
After 35% I found myself skimming, and that’s not a good sign for me, as I do not have that habit.
Yes, there are some touching moments, but I felt that the author controlled or held back her emotions.
Anyways, life seems so unfair sometimes.
The main topic here is abortion, and although it’s a work of fiction, the storyline is based on facts.
I did appreciate the writing, for most part.
The development of the story, told by 3 POV and having different timelines, was interesting but a bit slow.
Because of the strong start, I was expecting a heartbreaking story, but unfortunately I did not connect.
After 35% I found myself skimming, and that’s not a good sign for me, as I do not have that habit.
Yes, there are some touching moments, but I felt that the author controlled or held back her emotions.
Anyways, life seems so unfair sometimes.
June 6, 2022
3-1/2 stars
I wanted to give this book 5-stars because of the emotional and hot button issues the author took on, but some of it was diluted for me due to the over use of coincidences aplenty in an effort (I presume) to make the plot more interesting. The twist at the end fizzled due to the literary devices that peppered the narrative throughout.
The lesbian couple Angela and Tina are introduced early on but for some reason the author continuously reminds us by referring to Tina as ‘the wife’ – yes, we know, you established that early on – no need to keep repeating it.
There are other inaccuracies that would serve no purpose for me to point out and furthermore, having noted all of the above, I enjoyed this book very much.
I’m always happy to read a book set in a place where I recognize the streets and locations as such books are few and far between.
I applaud this author, in her debut, for taking on the hot button topics such as abortion, adoption, abuse and the horrible history of the homes for unwed mothers – still a shameful period in history in many countries.
There are many things I liked about this book and many things that put me off but I highly recommend it as a good read – the things that put me off are literary devices employed – not the topic(s).
I wanted to give this book 5-stars because of the emotional and hot button issues the author took on, but some of it was diluted for me due to the over use of coincidences aplenty in an effort (I presume) to make the plot more interesting. The twist at the end fizzled due to the literary devices that peppered the narrative throughout.
The lesbian couple Angela and Tina are introduced early on but for some reason the author continuously reminds us by referring to Tina as ‘the wife’ – yes, we know, you established that early on – no need to keep repeating it.
There are other inaccuracies that would serve no purpose for me to point out and furthermore, having noted all of the above, I enjoyed this book very much.
I’m always happy to read a book set in a place where I recognize the streets and locations as such books are few and far between.
I applaud this author, in her debut, for taking on the hot button topics such as abortion, adoption, abuse and the horrible history of the homes for unwed mothers – still a shameful period in history in many countries.
There are many things I liked about this book and many things that put me off but I highly recommend it as a good read – the things that put me off are literary devices employed – not the topic(s).
April 1, 2022
4.5*
A deeply moving account based on true stories of the largely unconsenting 300,000 Canadian women who were sent to homes for unwed mothers and ultimately were forced to give up their babies for adoption between 1945 and the 1970s.
I applaud the author for shining a light on a part of Canadian history that has been shrouded in secrecy. She intelligently and compassionately wrote about abortion, motherhood and the right for each person to make her own choices.
I can't even imagine the pain these women felt at having their babies taken from them or the devastation the children have experienced at not being able to find their biological parents due to our current policies in closed adoptions. An emotionally captivating read.
A deeply moving account based on true stories of the largely unconsenting 300,000 Canadian women who were sent to homes for unwed mothers and ultimately were forced to give up their babies for adoption between 1945 and the 1970s.
I applaud the author for shining a light on a part of Canadian history that has been shrouded in secrecy. She intelligently and compassionately wrote about abortion, motherhood and the right for each person to make her own choices.
I can't even imagine the pain these women felt at having their babies taken from them or the devastation the children have experienced at not being able to find their biological parents due to our current policies in closed adoptions. An emotionally captivating read.
March 16, 2023
Mostly I could sum this review up in three words: read the synopsis.
But of course, I will say more. I don't know where I heard of this book or how it landed on my TBR. Probably I saw the woman from behind and assumed it would be your run-of-the-mill historical fiction. And it started out that way. However, I am completely over books about stolen babies, or girls homes for unwed mothers where the babies are stolen and sold. I have just read one too many and its a topic that is so egregious and heart breaking and unfair to me that I just don't want to read it anymore. As soon as I saw that's where this book was going, I had major regrets about picking it up. Then it veered into territory that I was absolutely not expecting (my fault...the synopsis is very clear that this book is about an underground abortion network). That's just not something I wanted to spend 11 hours listening about. I almost turned the audiobook off as soon as I saw what it was going to be about. I didn't.
My final thoughts are this: I always love learning about a part of history I didn't know about. So I am going up a star because of that. My other thoughts are a little more complicated. No matter what you believe about abortion, this book read like a series of planned parenthood commercials. By that, I mean cheesy one liners that I could picture being scripted into one of those "The More you Know" commercials. I pictured a nurse dressed in an old time-y nurse uniform asking the doctor how long abortions are going to be needed and the doctor pausing and looking right into the screen saying "As long as men exist, so will abortions." It was so off-putting. Though fascinating, I felt zero connection to any of the characters. There was not depth or emotion to any of them thus adding to the feeling of frustration I had about this work of fiction.
This is a me problem, and I entirely recognize that, but when I read fiction, I'm not looking for an agenda pushing story and that's what this was in its entirety. I'd feel the same about a 300 page book pushing the pro-life agenda. Beyond that, it was full of stereotypes, unbelievable connections and conveniences, loose ends and eye-rolling plot twists. I know people will love this book (or pretend to) but it was not for me.
But of course, I will say more. I don't know where I heard of this book or how it landed on my TBR. Probably I saw the woman from behind and assumed it would be your run-of-the-mill historical fiction. And it started out that way. However, I am completely over books about stolen babies, or girls homes for unwed mothers where the babies are stolen and sold. I have just read one too many and its a topic that is so egregious and heart breaking and unfair to me that I just don't want to read it anymore. As soon as I saw that's where this book was going, I had major regrets about picking it up. Then it veered into territory that I was absolutely not expecting (my fault...the synopsis is very clear that this book is about an underground abortion network). That's just not something I wanted to spend 11 hours listening about. I almost turned the audiobook off as soon as I saw what it was going to be about. I didn't.
My final thoughts are this: I always love learning about a part of history I didn't know about. So I am going up a star because of that. My other thoughts are a little more complicated. No matter what you believe about abortion, this book read like a series of planned parenthood commercials. By that, I mean cheesy one liners that I could picture being scripted into one of those "The More you Know" commercials. I pictured a nurse dressed in an old time-y nurse uniform asking the doctor how long abortions are going to be needed and the doctor pausing and looking right into the screen saying "As long as men exist, so will abortions." It was so off-putting. Though fascinating, I felt zero connection to any of the characters. There was not depth or emotion to any of them thus adding to the feeling of frustration I had about this work of fiction.
This is a me problem, and I entirely recognize that, but when I read fiction, I'm not looking for an agenda pushing story and that's what this was in its entirety. I'd feel the same about a 300 page book pushing the pro-life agenda. Beyond that, it was full of stereotypes, unbelievable connections and conveniences, loose ends and eye-rolling plot twists. I know people will love this book (or pretend to) but it was not for me.
February 24, 2022
Special thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for a free, electroic ARC of this novel received in exchange for an honest review.
Expected publication date: Mar. 1, 2022
Looking for Jane by debut Canadian author Heather Marshall is a gripping account of historical fiction, based on real events.
*discussions around suicide, infertility, abortion*
In 2017, and when Angela Creighton receives a letter in her mailbox meant for someone else, it changes her life forever. The letter contains a deathbed confession, and Angela quickly becomes determined that the intended receiver hear the letter’s secrets. Her investigation leads her to discover the “Jane Network”, a group of women who provided safe, yet illegal, abortions to desiring women in the 1970s in Canada. As her investigation takes a dark turn into history, Angela, and two other women’s, lives become intricately woven in an emotional tale of maternity.
Told from the perspective of three different women from the 1960s to 2017, "Looking for Jane" is a thought provoking and emotional journey from page one. To know that this is a debut novel is even more impressive!
I loved the characters, each and every one a powerful depiction of female bravery. From the Morgenthaler abortion controversy and the fight for female bodily autonomy, Marshall pulls no punches. I was ready and willing to wave my feminist flag after reading this novel!
As a Canadian, this novel obviously hit close to home(and it definitely introduced a piece of our shady history I knew nothing about), and I appreciate Marshall's well-researched plot.
This is going to be one of this novels that sticks with you, regardless of what side of the abortion debate you're on. Whether you're a mother, or just a female, there is an immediate emotional connection to Marshall's plot and characters.
Expected publication date: Mar. 1, 2022
Looking for Jane by debut Canadian author Heather Marshall is a gripping account of historical fiction, based on real events.
*discussions around suicide, infertility, abortion*
In 2017, and when Angela Creighton receives a letter in her mailbox meant for someone else, it changes her life forever. The letter contains a deathbed confession, and Angela quickly becomes determined that the intended receiver hear the letter’s secrets. Her investigation leads her to discover the “Jane Network”, a group of women who provided safe, yet illegal, abortions to desiring women in the 1970s in Canada. As her investigation takes a dark turn into history, Angela, and two other women’s, lives become intricately woven in an emotional tale of maternity.
Told from the perspective of three different women from the 1960s to 2017, "Looking for Jane" is a thought provoking and emotional journey from page one. To know that this is a debut novel is even more impressive!
I loved the characters, each and every one a powerful depiction of female bravery. From the Morgenthaler abortion controversy and the fight for female bodily autonomy, Marshall pulls no punches. I was ready and willing to wave my feminist flag after reading this novel!
As a Canadian, this novel obviously hit close to home(and it definitely introduced a piece of our shady history I knew nothing about), and I appreciate Marshall's well-researched plot.
This is going to be one of this novels that sticks with you, regardless of what side of the abortion debate you're on. Whether you're a mother, or just a female, there is an immediate emotional connection to Marshall's plot and characters.
February 20, 2023
Looking for Jane by Heather Marshall was a mighty good read about choices. It went into homes for unwed mother’s and the abuse these young girls faced st the hands of the Nuns and Priests that ran these institutions. It went into how these girls had no choices. These babies were stolen from then and often sold. It talk about illegal abortion and lives easily lost. Women who did the secret abortions and how deeply they cared to keep them safe. Celebration when abortion became legal. How horrendous people were treated. How scary it was to not only carry out but to have one. The emotional difficulty over the choices made I had difficulty getting started. Once it took off it was a wonderful book. It had dips and lulls in places. I had some trouble with all the characters and keeping them straight. Worth every moment of reading.
Similar to The House of Eve.
Similar to The House of Eve.
May 29, 2023
Absolutely loved this book!
The timelines and POV really sell this book, but for me, the characters are incredible.
This is a hugely relevant issue, in the light of Roe vs Wade, but Marshall has produced a wonderful book in its own right.
The Looking For Jane movement is considered controversial, but one I knew little about prior to this.
The commitment, the strength and determination of those women shines through this book, and it comes from a gripping story and characters that you admire in every scene.
Brilliant.
The timelines and POV really sell this book, but for me, the characters are incredible.
This is a hugely relevant issue, in the light of Roe vs Wade, but Marshall has produced a wonderful book in its own right.
The Looking For Jane movement is considered controversial, but one I knew little about prior to this.
The commitment, the strength and determination of those women shines through this book, and it comes from a gripping story and characters that you admire in every scene.
Brilliant.
October 15, 2022
A timely novel given the recent overturning of Roe v. Wade in the States, and a fascinating exploration of a period in Canadian history. It’s hard to believe that this is Heather Marshall’s debut novel. She moves deftly between protagonists and time periods, and weaves the storylines together beautifully in the end. The novel is well researched without getting bogged down with historical details (don’t miss the author’s note in the back for historical context). She crafts characters who are not tropes but individuals, each with her own complexities and nuances. Ultimately this book is not about abortion or adoption - it’s about motherhood, love, and the impossible choices women so often face (and how many have no choice at all).
Thank you to NetGalley and Atria Books for an ARC in exchange for my review.
Thank you to NetGalley and Atria Books for an ARC in exchange for my review.
January 24, 2022
Looking For Jane is a story about three women whose lives are connected by a long-lost letter, secrets, loss, and the fight for women's right to choose.
This is an exemplary debut novel that pulled me immediately into the story with its strong writing, well-defined characters, and its focus on the hard-fought struggle for women's reproductive rights in Canada. This book will appeal to fans of Canadian authors Genevieve Graham and Joanna Goodman because of its perfect blend of lesser-known Canadian history within a gripping and emotional fictional story.
Looking For Jane follows three women - Angela, Evelyn and Nancy - who live in Toronto in the 1970's, 1980's and 2010's. It is through the experiences, struggles and complex family lives of these three women that Marshall humanizes the issue of reproductive choice. I sometimes found the switch between the characters a bit confusing, but I appreciate how the author shows different sides of the issues and doesn't shy away from detailing the restrictions to women's rights in different decades in the late twentieth and early twenty-first centuries. From backstreet abortions, post-war church-run maternity homes, adoption, and birth to the often horrifying and long-lasting consequences when governments, society, and the church deny women the right to choose. Sadly, this struggle isn't over for women in many parts of the world and it's sobering to think that it wasn't that long ago that women in Canada had such limited options.
Looking For Jane is a well-researched, thought-provoking, and powerful fictional story that weaves a dark part of women's history in Canada; a time when women had no choice, no voice, and no rights when it came to their own reproductive decisions. This is a must-read story that honours the women who have come before us, those who showed strength and tenacity so that we may now have the right to choose.
Disclaimer: My sincere thanks to the publisher Simon & Schuster Canada for this complimentary copy of this book provided in exchange for my honest review. All opinions are my own.
March 11, 2023
2.5 stars.
Man, oh man. I wanted so badly to like this book more than I did.
The story itself is well-crafted and interesting, and the material (forced adoptions in 1960s Canada as well as the dawn of the pro-choice movement) is well-researched. The writing, though... let me let it speak for itself:
"She's crusty on the outside with a soft centre, like a well-made croissant"
WHAT.
Odd choices, clichés, awkward stilted sentences, and five-dollar words crammed where they don't belong. I just couldn't get beyond the writing, even though the historical elements were impactful.
Man, oh man. I wanted so badly to like this book more than I did.
The story itself is well-crafted and interesting, and the material (forced adoptions in 1960s Canada as well as the dawn of the pro-choice movement) is well-researched. The writing, though... let me let it speak for itself:
"She's crusty on the outside with a soft centre, like a well-made croissant"
WHAT.
Odd choices, clichés, awkward stilted sentences, and five-dollar words crammed where they don't belong. I just couldn't get beyond the writing, even though the historical elements were impactful.
October 23, 2022
Following the lives of three women in different decades of 20th century Canada, Looking for Jane is about the power of a mother's love. It is also about a woman's right to choice over her body and having the support of other women.
If that doesn't convince you to pick up this debut novel, the characters-Evelyn, Angela and Nancy will certainl sway you as they did me during the novel. It's not always easy to juggle so many narrative voices. But Heather Marshall does it with ease. Using research on the presence of maternity homes and underground abortion networks, a slice of Canadian history often overlooked is brought into the spotlight.
As I read this novel, I, a Canadian woman, was recovering from a miscarriage. It's an awful experience and yet I drew both comfort and strength from this narrative. It helped on the road to healing.
If I had one criticism for the novel I had a very strong inking how the book was going to end. It felt a bit too predictable and so I kept it in the solid ⭐⭐⭐⭐ category.
Goodreads review published 22/10/22
If that doesn't convince you to pick up this debut novel, the characters-Evelyn, Angela and Nancy will certainl sway you as they did me during the novel. It's not always easy to juggle so many narrative voices. But Heather Marshall does it with ease. Using research on the presence of maternity homes and underground abortion networks, a slice of Canadian history often overlooked is brought into the spotlight.
As I read this novel, I, a Canadian woman, was recovering from a miscarriage. It's an awful experience and yet I drew both comfort and strength from this narrative. It helped on the road to healing.
If I had one criticism for the novel I had a very strong inking how the book was going to end. It felt a bit too predictable and so I kept it in the solid ⭐⭐⭐⭐ category.
Goodreads review published 22/10/22
February 3, 2022
Between the covers of this book is a Thanksgiving dinner. You know what I mean - you get up from the table and you just have to undo the top button and sit on the couch, uncomfortable, thinking about the deliciousness you just devoured. Author Heather Marshall is inviting you to a feast. You’ll read and read and not be able to put the fork, I mean book, down and before you know it…well, you’re sitting there uncomfortable and full.
Why uncomfortable? Well, Marshall’s book focuses on abortions and adoptions. I believe gaining insight into both sides of a controversial topic will always help people gain an educated perspective. Like politics and religion, I am not open to a pro-choice discussion on my feed. I was generously gifted this book to read and review without bias and I’m sharing my honest thoughts about the book, not about my personal views about abortion. Readers will experience all the feels in this phenomenal debut novel. At points I was so angry and so filled with grief, I had to put the book down. Other times tears were streaming down my cheeks. Most of the time, I was in awe and speechless. It’s the history of my country…maternity home systems, underground abortion networks…and I didn’t know a thing about it. I’m thankful for the opportunity to read, learn, and be humbled.
The calibre of storytelling here is second to none. I’ve never become so absorbed in a book that is written to the senses! I read about Dr. Henry Morgentaler risking his safety to help women who had nowhere to go. I read about unkind nuns who shunned and disrespected helpless young girls. I read about families who disowned a pregnant child. BUT I also read about motherhood; wanting and not wanting to be a mother. I also read about women supporting each other through and despite their individual choices, and I also read about a mother’s love. It was a well-presented ‘feast.’ The twists and turns and ramping tension were well-balanced by heartwarming scenes. Marshall’s prose reflected each era she spanned, right down to the Formica tabletops and Comet cleaner. I was fully immersed in the era and invested in each character.
Bottom line: The author chronicles three Torontonians whose lives are bound together by a long-lost letter, a mother’s love and a secret network of women fighting for the right to choose.
I love the title. You’ll have to read to discover the meaning behind it.
This is an important read. It's not light. Be prepared.
Did you know that between 1945-1971 almost 600,000 babies were born to unmarried mothers and 300,000 mothers in Canada were forced or coerced into surrendering their babies for adoption within the maternity home system?
Why uncomfortable? Well, Marshall’s book focuses on abortions and adoptions. I believe gaining insight into both sides of a controversial topic will always help people gain an educated perspective. Like politics and religion, I am not open to a pro-choice discussion on my feed. I was generously gifted this book to read and review without bias and I’m sharing my honest thoughts about the book, not about my personal views about abortion. Readers will experience all the feels in this phenomenal debut novel. At points I was so angry and so filled with grief, I had to put the book down. Other times tears were streaming down my cheeks. Most of the time, I was in awe and speechless. It’s the history of my country…maternity home systems, underground abortion networks…and I didn’t know a thing about it. I’m thankful for the opportunity to read, learn, and be humbled.
The calibre of storytelling here is second to none. I’ve never become so absorbed in a book that is written to the senses! I read about Dr. Henry Morgentaler risking his safety to help women who had nowhere to go. I read about unkind nuns who shunned and disrespected helpless young girls. I read about families who disowned a pregnant child. BUT I also read about motherhood; wanting and not wanting to be a mother. I also read about women supporting each other through and despite their individual choices, and I also read about a mother’s love. It was a well-presented ‘feast.’ The twists and turns and ramping tension were well-balanced by heartwarming scenes. Marshall’s prose reflected each era she spanned, right down to the Formica tabletops and Comet cleaner. I was fully immersed in the era and invested in each character.
Bottom line: The author chronicles three Torontonians whose lives are bound together by a long-lost letter, a mother’s love and a secret network of women fighting for the right to choose.
I love the title. You’ll have to read to discover the meaning behind it.
This is an important read. It's not light. Be prepared.
Did you know that between 1945-1971 almost 600,000 babies were born to unmarried mothers and 300,000 mothers in Canada were forced or coerced into surrendering their babies for adoption within the maternity home system?
November 27, 2023
I picked up Looking for Jane because it was on the GR choice awards list. I listened to the audiobook and all three perspectives had the same narrator.
The story was interesting and admirable. The three timelines were linked well even though I suspected the plot twist early on. I don't think we needed it though.
The characters were okay, not annoying but not memorable. It was the audiobook picked randomly right after finishing The House of Eve. Frankly, I didn't know much about these kind of houses. I knew they existed but not the physical and emotional hardships the girls and women endured there. I'm really glad to see authors continuing to write about dark and unpopular parts of history.
The narrator however sounded too weird when trying to speak like someone is sad and it made me cringe. Nonetheless, it’s usually the type of audiobook I enjoy listening to. It didn't affect my overall experience but definitely removed any possibility of feeling much of a connection to those emotional moments.
The story was interesting and admirable. The three timelines were linked well even though I suspected the plot twist early on. I don't think we needed it though.
The characters were okay, not annoying but not memorable. It was the audiobook picked randomly right after finishing The House of Eve. Frankly, I didn't know much about these kind of houses. I knew they existed but not the physical and emotional hardships the girls and women endured there. I'm really glad to see authors continuing to write about dark and unpopular parts of history.
The narrator however sounded too weird when trying to speak like someone is sad and it made me cringe. Nonetheless, it’s usually the type of audiobook I enjoy listening to. It didn't affect my overall experience but definitely removed any possibility of feeling much of a connection to those emotional moments.
October 17, 2023
Looking For Jane is told from the points of view of the three main characters Angela, Evelyn and Nancy. When Angela discovers an old letter tucked away in the antique shop where she works in 2017, it's been seven years since it was posted, she starts searching for the recipient, and it takes her back to the 1970’s and 1980’s.
As a teenager, Dr. Evelyn Taylor was forced to give up her baby for adoption, she’s one of over 300, 000 women who were made to this in post-World War Two, Canada and they spent their pregnancies hidden away in unwed mothers homes like St. Agnes’s Home for Unwed Mothers, in Toronto.
Evelyn wants women to be able to choose what happens to their bodies if they find themselves pregnant and don’t want to be. Evelyn joins the Jane Network, they provide safe but illegal abortions and Evelyn faces being sent to jail if she’s caught.
Here she meets a young woman Nancy, who’s told by a doctor if she ever found herself “in similar a position” to call doctors receptionists, ask for Jane and eventually one will give her the number. Nancy starts volunteering, trying to help young women like herself and her cousin who find themselves in trouble.
A woman should having the right to do what she wants with her own body and the consequences of not having a choice, no one cared how they got pregnant and some were victims of rape, from backstreet abortions, maternity homes, young women giving birth in a hospital, scared, alone in a tiny room and occasionally someone would check to see how they were progressing and they didn't have a basic knowledge about what’s going to happen during labour and afterwards and forced to sign the adoption paperwork.
The fictional story has a strong emphasis on women helping other women, motherhood, wanting to be a mother and not wanting to be a mother and all the grey areas in between. What choices childless couples had prior to fertility treatments, they adopted, some told the child and others didn’t.
Secrets are kept by all three characters and their lives are linked and I didn't predict the big revelation towards the end. I can understand why Heather Marshall's debut novel has been a best seller, and I wouldn't be surprised if it's made into a movie and five stars from me.
As a teenager, Dr. Evelyn Taylor was forced to give up her baby for adoption, she’s one of over 300, 000 women who were made to this in post-World War Two, Canada and they spent their pregnancies hidden away in unwed mothers homes like St. Agnes’s Home for Unwed Mothers, in Toronto.
Evelyn wants women to be able to choose what happens to their bodies if they find themselves pregnant and don’t want to be. Evelyn joins the Jane Network, they provide safe but illegal abortions and Evelyn faces being sent to jail if she’s caught.
Here she meets a young woman Nancy, who’s told by a doctor if she ever found herself “in similar a position” to call doctors receptionists, ask for Jane and eventually one will give her the number. Nancy starts volunteering, trying to help young women like herself and her cousin who find themselves in trouble.
A woman should having the right to do what she wants with her own body and the consequences of not having a choice, no one cared how they got pregnant and some were victims of rape, from backstreet abortions, maternity homes, young women giving birth in a hospital, scared, alone in a tiny room and occasionally someone would check to see how they were progressing and they didn't have a basic knowledge about what’s going to happen during labour and afterwards and forced to sign the adoption paperwork.
The fictional story has a strong emphasis on women helping other women, motherhood, wanting to be a mother and not wanting to be a mother and all the grey areas in between. What choices childless couples had prior to fertility treatments, they adopted, some told the child and others didn’t.
Secrets are kept by all three characters and their lives are linked and I didn't predict the big revelation towards the end. I can understand why Heather Marshall's debut novel has been a best seller, and I wouldn't be surprised if it's made into a movie and five stars from me.
May 2, 2023
I read this novel for book club and I found it to be both fascinating and heart-breaking.
Historical fiction based on Canadian history which I am particularly fond of.
Set in Toronto I am familiar with many of the areas mentioned which I picture as the story is being told. The author's description is spot on!
This story follows three women whose lives are intertwined by a long lost letter. Based on the Jane Network, a group of women performing illegal abortions in the 1960's. The topics addressed are abortion, adoption, motherhood, abuse, homes for unwed mothers where the girls were coerced into giving up their babies.
A wonderful debut novel that I highly recommend!
Historical fiction based on Canadian history which I am particularly fond of.
Set in Toronto I am familiar with many of the areas mentioned which I picture as the story is being told. The author's description is spot on!
This story follows three women whose lives are intertwined by a long lost letter. Based on the Jane Network, a group of women performing illegal abortions in the 1960's. The topics addressed are abortion, adoption, motherhood, abuse, homes for unwed mothers where the girls were coerced into giving up their babies.
A wonderful debut novel that I highly recommend!
June 6, 2023
Inhale. Exhale. Inhale. Exhale. This is me teaching myself how to breathe again, because I almost forgot. I am simply astounded by what I just read. Looking for Jane is written in a way that makes the reader feel like he or she is a part of something big. Furthermore, to write about true events without conveying the facts like you are writing a research paper is a real skill, and Heather Marshall has mastered it. Inspired by true stories, we follow our main characters through three separate timelines: 1971, 1980, and 2017. There is a ton of foreshadowing in this book, and I STILL did not guess the big giant whopping colossal enormous supercalifragilisticexpialidocious twist at the end. Talk about tears! As mentioned in the author's note, this book is about abortion and the right to choose, but it is also about so much more. I think there is room for a sequel, because something Sister Agatha said to Nancy was not addressed or revisited. I would love to read more. I'm going to go hug my mom now. Wow.
December 20, 2021
Looking for Jane is a beautifully written meditation on the lengths mothers will go to for their children as well as an eye-opening history of women. It is an ode to the doctors, nurses, and volunteers who fought for the rights of future generations to have a say over their bodies. This gracefully entwined story of three generations of women, societal mores, and mothers and daughters stole my heart.
March 4, 2023
Maaaaybe 1 star? Even that feels generous. Did I read a different book than everyone else on here?! Wow wow I was pretty dang excited when my book club chose this book as our March pick for Women's History Month - I even already had it checked out from the library! By the end of the first chapter, I kind of knew I wasn't going to like it, but stuck with it for #bookclubproblems.
Some of my issues with it, in no particular order, and very much not an exhaustive list because I just want to be done with this review:
- The writing, IMO, was incredibly lazy -- show, don't tell! and the characters felt incredibly stilted and somehow stereotypical, or maybe just a bingo board of characteristics. Take Angela for example: lesbian, adopted, carrying partner for pregnancy, going through IVF, previously had a MC/abortion. Frances was supposed to be who? She felt incredibly fake and not someone who would be married to the person described as Nancy's father.
- All the creative story turns felt unimaginative. How does Angela find the most note? In a marble box inside a drawer of a piece of furniture at the store that she was pulling a "HOLD" tag off of (not to mention spilling her coffee in the process of removing a plastic tag?) -- how has no one looked in that drawer, especially a potential buyer? Or her aunt, selling the piece? How did the letter end up in a marble box? It was delivered by a mailman.. I assumed she'd find it behind a credenza before it's in a marble box in a drawer in a piece for sale.
- When Angela has to go into the fertility clinic with Tina: "In the past she had had to come to one of these clinics to treat one of the miscarriages that hadn't naturally completed. At the time, she had no idea that the procedure was also used after some miscarriages." I realize not all readers might know this, but it just felt like an FYI from the author.
- The writing went from very flat & to-the-point to interspersed with flowery, descriptive passages that felt like the author's attempt to "be creative!" and "use analogies!" such as when Nancy sits with the dying and 'learns their secrets', turning them over like rocks or some other random description.
- Sister Agnes on her death bed, trying to tell Nancy about her mother's past and instead of "feeling something" like she apparently did when her own grandmother used the term 'got' vs 'had', Nancy calls for a nurse and has her injected with pain/sleep medication.
- When Angela meets Evelyn/Maggie and asks for her coffee black and Evelyn/Maggie calls her a sociopath and then just continues on with the visit?
- Well, until Angela drops the pretense of why she's there all at once? (Found letter / your book / was Maggie real? / Margaret's dead / I connected with Nancy / Would you meet with her?) This would never happen in a word vomit like that.
And don't even get me started on the BIG TWIST and the bingo board there: suicide, rage, attempted murder, attempted suicide, faked suicide, identity theft -- WOAH. I eye rolled so hard getting through most of the book that I'm surprised they're still facing forward in my head to write this dang review. Ugh!
Some of my issues with it, in no particular order, and very much not an exhaustive list because I just want to be done with this review:
- The writing, IMO, was incredibly lazy -- show, don't tell! and the characters felt incredibly stilted and somehow stereotypical, or maybe just a bingo board of characteristics. Take Angela for example: lesbian, adopted, carrying partner for pregnancy, going through IVF, previously had a MC/abortion. Frances was supposed to be who? She felt incredibly fake and not someone who would be married to the person described as Nancy's father.
- All the creative story turns felt unimaginative. How does Angela find the most note? In a marble box inside a drawer of a piece of furniture at the store that she was pulling a "HOLD" tag off of (not to mention spilling her coffee in the process of removing a plastic tag?) -- how has no one looked in that drawer, especially a potential buyer? Or her aunt, selling the piece? How did the letter end up in a marble box? It was delivered by a mailman.. I assumed she'd find it behind a credenza before it's in a marble box in a drawer in a piece for sale.
- When Angela has to go into the fertility clinic with Tina: "In the past she had had to come to one of these clinics to treat one of the miscarriages that hadn't naturally completed. At the time, she had no idea that the procedure was also used after some miscarriages." I realize not all readers might know this, but it just felt like an FYI from the author.
- The writing went from very flat & to-the-point to interspersed with flowery, descriptive passages that felt like the author's attempt to "be creative!" and "use analogies!" such as when Nancy sits with the dying and 'learns their secrets', turning them over like rocks or some other random description.
- Sister Agnes on her death bed, trying to tell Nancy about her mother's past and instead of "feeling something" like she apparently did when her own grandmother used the term 'got' vs 'had', Nancy calls for a nurse and has her injected with pain/sleep medication.
- When Angela meets Evelyn/Maggie and asks for her coffee black and Evelyn/Maggie calls her a sociopath and then just continues on with the visit?
- Well, until Angela drops the pretense of why she's there all at once? (Found letter / your book / was Maggie real? / Margaret's dead / I connected with Nancy / Would you meet with her?) This would never happen in a word vomit like that.
And don't even get me started on the BIG TWIST and the bingo board there: suicide, rage, attempted murder, attempted suicide, faked suicide, identity theft -- WOAH. I eye rolled so hard getting through most of the book that I'm surprised they're still facing forward in my head to write this dang review. Ugh!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 3, 2022
There is nothing quite so gratifying as reading a really good debut novel AND learning about some groundbreaking history of your own country at the same time! Abortion has been legal in Canada since 1988, so many are now rather complacent about the issue. What we have to remember is that before it was legalized many, many women died seeking abortions, and many, many fought - at great personal risk - to make abortion legal.
The characters in this novel fairly leapt off the pages in their authenticity. Weaving fiction with historical fact seems to come natural to the author as this is her debut novel. With themes of maternal love, adoption, abortion, and the right to choose, this is a timely novel given the fact that March is International Women's Month.
A moving fictional portrait that puts a human face on the history of Canadian women's reproductive rights, "Looking For Jane" is a novel that is entertaining and informative in equal measure. It is an impressive debut that I highly recommend.
The characters in this novel fairly leapt off the pages in their authenticity. Weaving fiction with historical fact seems to come natural to the author as this is her debut novel. With themes of maternal love, adoption, abortion, and the right to choose, this is a timely novel given the fact that March is International Women's Month.
A moving fictional portrait that puts a human face on the history of Canadian women's reproductive rights, "Looking For Jane" is a novel that is entertaining and informative in equal measure. It is an impressive debut that I highly recommend.
July 3, 2023
Simply amazing story based on true events and centered around motherhood - the good and the bad.
December 9, 2023
"I don't know. I thought you guys were all about abortions."
Nancy shakes her head. "We're all about choice."
"Looking for Jane" is about motherhood. it is such a profound story between three women from 1960 to 2017. i actually teared up a couple of times because how powerful Heather Marshall's words were and how it impacted me in a way i didn't think it would. i was rooting for these characters so much it was unreal!
usually, when i'm reading a book like this, i'm not expecting any twists but this one, oh my god this one, had the best plot twist towards the end that i couldn't stop crying. it was like i knew them personally!
i think you should all do yourselves a favor and read this one. just trust me. i can't wait to see what this author is coming up with next because if this was a debut, i'm on for a hell of a ride!
January 12, 2023
I’m pro choice, but this book is like reading a pro choice pamphlet. It’s one big yawn
March 31, 2023
Reading the synopsis of "Looking for Jane" you'd think it's a poignant story about the lives of three women intertwined by adoption, secrets, struggles and a dark, shared history. As an adopted child myself, I was intrigued and more than ready to relate to and fall in love with every single word.
Instead, I actually hated this book. A lot!
Initially, I thought I had read a completely different book than everyone else because the mess I read was no 5-star masterpiece. And, quite frankly, I believe the only reason this book has no many glowing reviews is because it covers a very hot-button topic during a very dark period in Canadian history and readers feel that they need to love it. But if you look past the subject matter, you'll see it for what it really is: a badly written, agenda pushing, commercial for abortion rights.
The author routinely wobbles back and forth between present tense and past tense, sometimes in the same paragraph, which was distracting. She also has trouble deciding if she wants to tell her story in the second or third person narrative. Yes, you read that right, SECOND (not first) and third person. Then, employs some of the worst, most contrived dialogue ever put to paper, removes all character development, weaves the rest of the story using only coincidences and tops it all off by using every, single adverb in the dictionary, thus ensuring that every single cardinal rule of fiction writing is smashed to smithereens.
But I was prepared to let that slide....until a third of the way through the book, I realized it wasn't a poignant story about the lives of three women intertwined by adoption, secrets, struggles and a dark shared history. It's, in fact, nothing more than a blatant, shameless plug for abortion rights. What's a surefire way to ensure that I won't care about something? Insist that I MUST care about it and then shove it down my throat until I choke on it.
Now, just to be clear, I am a woman, an adoptee and a Canadian liberal. I'm as far left as left goes. I am and will always be staunchly pro choice so my review isn't based on some deep seeded, bible-thumping morality that I insist on beating people over the head with. It's based on the fact that this book is 400 pages where some first-timer writer preaches at me and pushes her own personal and political agenda. Not only is the abortion rights argument so blatant and shoved down your throat, the word "abortion" is used no less than a hundred times in a 400 page book. It's shoved into nearly every page and into nearly every conversation whether or not it even fits there. The author even includes an Authors Note at the end where she encourages readers to hound politicians, harrass the office of the Prime Minister of Canada and "be the squeaky wheels" in order to advance abortion and women's rights. And to ensure her point is driven all the way home, the majority of the conversations between the characters are deliberately contrived to reflect the struggle and the unfairness of abortion laws back in the 70s and 80s. "Oh, how I wish things were different and women had access to safe and legal abortions!" "Yes, life would be so much better if abortion was legal!" "Why are the men doing this to us???" "I don't know! But we need to fight to change things for our daughters and granddaughters so they may access safe and legal abortions!" "Yeah, we need to fight for a woman's right to choose!" "Let's go protest!!!" "Yes, we must if we want to see change because as long as men exist, abortions will be needed!"
I didn't make any of that up. All those cheesy, contrived statements appear, in some form, multiple times throughout the story. It sounded like the dialogue in a workplace training video. I half expected the characters to all stop, look directly into the camera and the More You Know rainbow to pop up on the screen
Then, the author inserts a pointless storyline about a stereotypical married lesbian couple with fertility issues and another in which her main character, Evelyn, marries a gay man, neither of which really serve any purpose other than to check all the woke liberal boxes. Then, she seems to forget that she spent a hundred pages telling the reader allllllll about what a great, patient, understanding, open guy Nancy's husband Michael is only to have him completely flip out and flush their brand new marriage down the toilet when Nancy tells him about an abortion she had years before she even met him. DAFUQ?
And if all that wasn't bad enough, SPOILER ALERT, you find out at the end that the main characters, Evelyn and Nancy, who have known each other for years, are actually mother and daughter.... because we never saw THAT one coming a mile away. 😒 It was WTF enough but later, as Evelyn is telling her story, she talks about how the baby she was forced to give up for adoption looked just like her brother. So, you mean to tell me that she didn't notice after alllllllll that time working side by side that Nancy had a family resemblance? Not once? She didn't share a single look, gesture, tick, habit with Evelyn or her biological father? Fuck straight off!
However, the author probably had the foresight to assume that we readers would have figured out the mother/daughter connection ages ago so she does try to fool us with a red herring that could have really gone somewhere had she thought it through. Instead, she uses it to crank up the crazy on her whole book by telling us that Evelyn, as a teenager no less, nearly murders a nun, attempts suicide, fakes her own death, assumes the identity of another girl who was with her in the home for wayward girls, goes to university, becomes a famous doctor and is actually a totally different character than who we believe she is.......and not a single person ever noticed. Fuck allllll the way off! And she springs this on us out of the blue, at the very end, without ever having even minutely elluded to it and actually expects us to just accept that and not immediately think that Evelyn is a fucking psychopath. Are you sure you jumped all the way over that shark? I could go on all day pointing out all the inconsistencies and nonsense.
The author could have written a beautiful story and made her political, abortion / pro choice argument if she had just eased up a bit on the political, abortion / pro choice throttle. Instead, she wrote preachy, agenda pushing feminist junk that I'll ignore.
Instead, I actually hated this book. A lot!
Initially, I thought I had read a completely different book than everyone else because the mess I read was no 5-star masterpiece. And, quite frankly, I believe the only reason this book has no many glowing reviews is because it covers a very hot-button topic during a very dark period in Canadian history and readers feel that they need to love it. But if you look past the subject matter, you'll see it for what it really is: a badly written, agenda pushing, commercial for abortion rights.
The author routinely wobbles back and forth between present tense and past tense, sometimes in the same paragraph, which was distracting. She also has trouble deciding if she wants to tell her story in the second or third person narrative. Yes, you read that right, SECOND (not first) and third person. Then, employs some of the worst, most contrived dialogue ever put to paper, removes all character development, weaves the rest of the story using only coincidences and tops it all off by using every, single adverb in the dictionary, thus ensuring that every single cardinal rule of fiction writing is smashed to smithereens.
But I was prepared to let that slide....until a third of the way through the book, I realized it wasn't a poignant story about the lives of three women intertwined by adoption, secrets, struggles and a dark shared history. It's, in fact, nothing more than a blatant, shameless plug for abortion rights. What's a surefire way to ensure that I won't care about something? Insist that I MUST care about it and then shove it down my throat until I choke on it.
Now, just to be clear, I am a woman, an adoptee and a Canadian liberal. I'm as far left as left goes. I am and will always be staunchly pro choice so my review isn't based on some deep seeded, bible-thumping morality that I insist on beating people over the head with. It's based on the fact that this book is 400 pages where some first-timer writer preaches at me and pushes her own personal and political agenda. Not only is the abortion rights argument so blatant and shoved down your throat, the word "abortion" is used no less than a hundred times in a 400 page book. It's shoved into nearly every page and into nearly every conversation whether or not it even fits there. The author even includes an Authors Note at the end where she encourages readers to hound politicians, harrass the office of the Prime Minister of Canada and "be the squeaky wheels" in order to advance abortion and women's rights. And to ensure her point is driven all the way home, the majority of the conversations between the characters are deliberately contrived to reflect the struggle and the unfairness of abortion laws back in the 70s and 80s. "Oh, how I wish things were different and women had access to safe and legal abortions!" "Yes, life would be so much better if abortion was legal!" "Why are the men doing this to us???" "I don't know! But we need to fight to change things for our daughters and granddaughters so they may access safe and legal abortions!" "Yeah, we need to fight for a woman's right to choose!" "Let's go protest!!!" "Yes, we must if we want to see change because as long as men exist, abortions will be needed!"
I didn't make any of that up. All those cheesy, contrived statements appear, in some form, multiple times throughout the story. It sounded like the dialogue in a workplace training video. I half expected the characters to all stop, look directly into the camera and the More You Know rainbow to pop up on the screen
Then, the author inserts a pointless storyline about a stereotypical married lesbian couple with fertility issues and another in which her main character, Evelyn, marries a gay man, neither of which really serve any purpose other than to check all the woke liberal boxes. Then, she seems to forget that she spent a hundred pages telling the reader allllllll about what a great, patient, understanding, open guy Nancy's husband Michael is only to have him completely flip out and flush their brand new marriage down the toilet when Nancy tells him about an abortion she had years before she even met him. DAFUQ?
And if all that wasn't bad enough, SPOILER ALERT, you find out at the end that the main characters, Evelyn and Nancy, who have known each other for years, are actually mother and daughter.... because we never saw THAT one coming a mile away. 😒 It was WTF enough but later, as Evelyn is telling her story, she talks about how the baby she was forced to give up for adoption looked just like her brother. So, you mean to tell me that she didn't notice after alllllllll that time working side by side that Nancy had a family resemblance? Not once? She didn't share a single look, gesture, tick, habit with Evelyn or her biological father? Fuck straight off!
However, the author probably had the foresight to assume that we readers would have figured out the mother/daughter connection ages ago so she does try to fool us with a red herring that could have really gone somewhere had she thought it through. Instead, she uses it to crank up the crazy on her whole book by telling us that Evelyn, as a teenager no less, nearly murders a nun, attempts suicide, fakes her own death, assumes the identity of another girl who was with her in the home for wayward girls, goes to university, becomes a famous doctor and is actually a totally different character than who we believe she is.......and not a single person ever noticed. Fuck allllll the way off! And she springs this on us out of the blue, at the very end, without ever having even minutely elluded to it and actually expects us to just accept that and not immediately think that Evelyn is a fucking psychopath. Are you sure you jumped all the way over that shark? I could go on all day pointing out all the inconsistencies and nonsense.
The author could have written a beautiful story and made her political, abortion / pro choice argument if she had just eased up a bit on the political, abortion / pro choice throttle. Instead, she wrote preachy, agenda pushing feminist junk that I'll ignore.
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