Genre Fiction
![Heather Marshall - [object Object] author](https://res.cloudinary.com/readsomnia/image/upload/authors/a_a_heather_marshall.jpg)
Looking for Jane: A Novel
#1 INTERNATIONAL BESTSELLER
This "powerful debut" (Hello! Canada) for fans of Kristin Hannah and Jennifer Chiaverini 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.
Looking for Jane is "a searing, important, beautifully written novel about the choices we all make and where they lead us-as well as a wise and timely reminder of the difficult road women had to walk not so long ago" (Kristin Harmel, New York Times bestselling author).
This "powerful debut" (Hello! Canada) for fans of Kristin Hannah and Jennifer Chiaverini 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.
Looking for Jane is "a searing, important, beautifully written novel about the choices we all make and where they lead us-as well as a wise and timely reminder of the difficult road women had to walk not so long ago" (Kristin Harmel, New York Times bestselling author).
Editorial Reviews
"Masterful . . . A poignant celebration of motherhood, and a devastating reminder of the consequences of denying women the right to choose. Fierce, beautifully written, and unforgettable."
- FIONA DAVIS, New York Times bestselling author of The Magnolia Palace
"Heather Marshall has pulled off a remarkable feat with this vital and incisive tale. It is at once an urgently necessary read and a pleasure to spend time with. The characters felt like friends, their story deeply essential to my own existence. A brave, generous, capable exploration of what it means to be a mother, to be a woman, and to stand up for inexorable truths."
- MARISSA STAPLEY, New York Times bestselling author of Lucky
"An original and poignant story that holds a mirror to the ongoing fight for women's rights. In reflecting on a dark spot in Canadian history, Heather Marshall speaks to the power of solidarity and of brave women who dare to take a stand."
- ELLEN KEITH, bestselling author of The Dutch Wife
"A masterful debut about motherhood and choices, the things we keep, the things we lose, and the things that stay with us and change us at our core forever. . . . A searing, important, beautifully written novel about the choices we all make and where they lead us-as well as a wise and timely reminder of the difficult road women had to walk not so long ago."
- KRISTIN HARMEL, New York Times bestselling author of The Forest of Vanishing Stars
"Marshall shines a spotlight on the unsettling truths and heartbreaking realities faced by women of every generation. Looking for Jane is a compelling, courageous must-read about motherhood and choice."
- GENEVIEVE GRAHAM, USA Today and #1 bestselling author of The Forgotten Home Child
"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...
- FIONA DAVIS, New York Times bestselling author of The Magnolia Palace
"Heather Marshall has pulled off a remarkable feat with this vital and incisive tale. It is at once an urgently necessary read and a pleasure to spend time with. The characters felt like friends, their story deeply essential to my own existence. A brave, generous, capable exploration of what it means to be a mother, to be a woman, and to stand up for inexorable truths."
- MARISSA STAPLEY, New York Times bestselling author of Lucky
"An original and poignant story that holds a mirror to the ongoing fight for women's rights. In reflecting on a dark spot in Canadian history, Heather Marshall speaks to the power of solidarity and of brave women who dare to take a stand."
- ELLEN KEITH, bestselling author of The Dutch Wife
"A masterful debut about motherhood and choices, the things we keep, the things we lose, and the things that stay with us and change us at our core forever. . . . A searing, important, beautifully written novel about the choices we all make and where they lead us-as well as a wise and timely reminder of the difficult road women had to walk not so long ago."
- KRISTIN HARMEL, New York Times bestselling author of The Forest of Vanishing Stars
"Marshall shines a spotlight on the unsettling truths and heartbreaking realities faced by women of every generation. Looking for Jane is a compelling, courageous must-read about motherhood and choice."
- GENEVIEVE GRAHAM, USA Today and #1 bestselling author of The Forgotten Home Child
"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...
Readers Top Reviews
Stephanie WV. O'Rega
This is a wonderful debut novel which shines a light on a little-known (to me) part of Canadian history - the postwar (often Church-run) maternity homes and the underground networks offering illegal abortions. The quality and style of writing, the telling of little-known stories, the careful plotting, and the poignancy woven throughout the story bring to mind the wonderful novels of Genevieve Graham. This novel is so interesting, focusing on a number of issues including women’s rights, mother-daughter relationships, strength and courage when doing the right thing is costly, and the weight of societal expectations.. Many of these themes continue to be relevant in 2022. The plot of the novel is supported by solid execution of the story. The main characters are very likeable, the pacing is consistent, the storytelling is so engaging, and there is a nice unexpected twist towards the end. This is a wonderful book to get caught up in and one that really touched me. I am looking forward to more from the very talented Heather Marshall! Looking for Jane is bound to be a bestseller - highly recommend! Many thanks to Simon and Schuster Canada and Netgalley for an advance copy in exchange for an honest review.
Brenda - Hagersville
I chose to read this book because I lived through this time period and in Toronto. I had actually heard of a Jane-type network through a workmate and followed Dr. Morgentaler's activities for decades. Seeing this situation through the eyes of the women whose choices on motherhood and its timing is the focus of this historical fiction novel. Coming at a time where Canada's dirty laundry is center stage with Indigenous residential schools, missing indigenous women and children this is another area where those without power have been exploited. I found parts of this story confusing as the characters bounced between characters and eras. I felt a bit cheated by the ending when important facts had been kept back. The research on this topic was extensive and I applaud Heather Marshall for her diligence. I volunteered to read an ARC through Net Galley.
Marlene
A fascinating story spanning 57 years and 3 generations, it deals with a heavy subject. I enjoyed that the story deals with a dark history, bringing to light stuff many would much rather ignore. Homes for unwed mothers where many women were often treated terribly, often no better than criminals, and forced to make decisions that weren't necessarily the best ones. The fight to make abortions legal, just so women wouldn't have to go to butchers in back alleys with unsafe, unsterile conditions but to have the procedures done in sterile conditions where they could be properly monitored. It was fascinating to read about history in an easy to read way with characters one could connect with on different levels. I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley and all opinions are my own.
Donna
The story Three woman in Toronto. Angela finds a ten year old letter that was never opened containing a decades-old secret. Nancy finds out a secret about her family, and holds her own secrets about her activism. Evelyn’s sad reality of an unwanted teen pregnancy in the 1960’s fuelled her medical career and lifelong assistance to women needing safe options. My thoughts From the blurb, this book seems to be dealing with an underground abortion network, but it’s so much more than that. From 1960’s homes for unmarried mothers, pro-choice activism, the long term effects of adoption on families and adoptees, the long term effects of abortion, dealing with fertility issues, this story runs right across the spectrum of issues around maternity. These issues touch so many of us. The storytelling in Looking for Jane is handled beautifully, and I loved how the three women’s history and situations are woven into each other in the most serendipitous way ❤️ I read an eARC copy courtesy of NetGalley and the publisher.
Karen B. Zagor
I LOVED this book! How can it possibly be a debut novel? This issue of pregnancy & possible pregnancy termination is handled with such respect and thoughtfulness for the myriad of feelings possible by many women. Three women's stories are expertly woven with tension and eager page turning propelling a fast moving plot. I read it in almost 2 sittings as I could not put down or stop thinking about it. For anyone who is as dumbstruck as I at the overturning of Roe v Wade, this provides a glimpse back to our mother's or grandmother's world before abortion was legalized in the US. Perhaps it also portends a possible recurrence in America as women face overwhelming stress when encountering an unwanted pregnancy.
Short Excerpt Teaser
Chapter 1: Angela CHAPTER 1 Angela
TORONTO | JANUARY 2017
Angela Creighton is late for work.
She was up late the night before, and this morning she wakes with a poorly timed migraine. Careful not to disturb her wife's Sunday morning lie-in, she tiptoes to the kitchen, where she washes down a painkiller with a glass of pulpy orange juice, toasts a bagel, and slathers it with too much garlic cream cheese. Clamping her breakfast between her teeth like a retriever, she tugs on a hat and cinches the waist tie on her plaid coat, then quietly closes the apartment door and hurries down the stairs of the walk-up.
Out on the sidewalk, Angela rushes to the bus stop as she munches the bagel while fishing her sunglasses out of her purse. Normally she would enjoy it, since sunny days in the winter are few and far between. But the light is making her wince and her head is throbbing like a bullet wound behind her eyes.
She was over at her friend Jenn's last night for their monthly book club, which had, as so many book clubs are wont to do, descended into a wine club over the past six months. Now they drink too much cheap pinot grigio, inhale charcuterie and cheese with a desperation that suggests it might be their last meal on death row, and sometimes talk about books they've read.
Angela hadn't taken part in any wine-drinking pursuits for the past several months, but she let herself go last night. It was the sole, pathetic shred of silver lining from the miscarriage, and she capitalized on it in spectacular form. She and Tina will be setting out on another round of fertility treatments once her body heals enough to try again, so she figured she may as well enjoy the booze in the meantime. It's her second miscarriage in a year, and the stakes are starting to feel higher every time an insemination treatment or a pregnancy fails. A steady flow of alcohol helps the hurdles appear a little lower, if only for a short while.
The bus trundles up to the curb and Angela boards, drops a token into the metal slot, and finds an empty seat near the rear door. The shop she manages-Thompson's Antiques & Used Books-is less than ten blocks west, and she stumbles off the bus onto the slushy curb a few stops later.
The entrance to the shop is just inches from the edge of the sidewalk on bustling College Street, and Angela presses herself against the door to stay out of the way of the passing pedestrians as she fumbles with her keys. Throwing her hip a little against the old warped wood, she bursts her way inside and shuts the door behind her.
Angela likes it in here. It's a peculiar hybrid of a shop, home to plenty of used books that cycle through its doors on a regular basis, and a motley collection of antiques that never seem to sell. It smells like furniture polish, coffee, and that dusty scent of old books that's both rotten and enormously appealing. It isn't a big space, only the size of a modest apartment. There's a small storeroom behind the cash desk that houses several dusty, neglected boxes and a cheap drip coffeemaker Angela brought in during her first week on the job.
She feels her mood lift a fraction at the now-familiar smell of the place. She's always been a book lover, and she and Tina share an eclectic taste in decor, so the whimsy of the antiques shop suits her just fine. There's always a bit of buried treasure to be discovered in here.
Angela flicks the light switches, walks to the old writing desk they use as a sales counter, and slides her purse underneath with her foot. She turns on the computer till-by far the most advanced piece of technology in the shop-then retreats to the storeroom to put on a pot of mercilessly potent dark roast. When she was pregnant, all she drank was decaf, determined that the placebo effect of coffee could still be achieved by brewing it at double strength. But today, with a sharp jab of bitterness to her heart, she puts on a large pot of regular brew.
Chipped mug of coffee in hand, Angela mentally shakes herself and sets about the usual tasks of sorting new inventory and following up on order holds. For the life of her, she can't imagine why the store has stayed in business this long, especially with real estate prices being what they are in this city. The small apartment over the shop has been rented out as additional unnecessary income since the property was first purchased by Angela's aunt Jo (who married Old Money and really has no need for employment). Although she could easily sell the place for a fortune in a matter of days, Angela suspects her aunt has kept the shop running simply for something to talk to her immaculately groomed friends about during their weekly manicures.
Prior to starting at Thompson's, ...
TORONTO | JANUARY 2017
Angela Creighton is late for work.
She was up late the night before, and this morning she wakes with a poorly timed migraine. Careful not to disturb her wife's Sunday morning lie-in, she tiptoes to the kitchen, where she washes down a painkiller with a glass of pulpy orange juice, toasts a bagel, and slathers it with too much garlic cream cheese. Clamping her breakfast between her teeth like a retriever, she tugs on a hat and cinches the waist tie on her plaid coat, then quietly closes the apartment door and hurries down the stairs of the walk-up.
Out on the sidewalk, Angela rushes to the bus stop as she munches the bagel while fishing her sunglasses out of her purse. Normally she would enjoy it, since sunny days in the winter are few and far between. But the light is making her wince and her head is throbbing like a bullet wound behind her eyes.
She was over at her friend Jenn's last night for their monthly book club, which had, as so many book clubs are wont to do, descended into a wine club over the past six months. Now they drink too much cheap pinot grigio, inhale charcuterie and cheese with a desperation that suggests it might be their last meal on death row, and sometimes talk about books they've read.
Angela hadn't taken part in any wine-drinking pursuits for the past several months, but she let herself go last night. It was the sole, pathetic shred of silver lining from the miscarriage, and she capitalized on it in spectacular form. She and Tina will be setting out on another round of fertility treatments once her body heals enough to try again, so she figured she may as well enjoy the booze in the meantime. It's her second miscarriage in a year, and the stakes are starting to feel higher every time an insemination treatment or a pregnancy fails. A steady flow of alcohol helps the hurdles appear a little lower, if only for a short while.
The bus trundles up to the curb and Angela boards, drops a token into the metal slot, and finds an empty seat near the rear door. The shop she manages-Thompson's Antiques & Used Books-is less than ten blocks west, and she stumbles off the bus onto the slushy curb a few stops later.
The entrance to the shop is just inches from the edge of the sidewalk on bustling College Street, and Angela presses herself against the door to stay out of the way of the passing pedestrians as she fumbles with her keys. Throwing her hip a little against the old warped wood, she bursts her way inside and shuts the door behind her.
Angela likes it in here. It's a peculiar hybrid of a shop, home to plenty of used books that cycle through its doors on a regular basis, and a motley collection of antiques that never seem to sell. It smells like furniture polish, coffee, and that dusty scent of old books that's both rotten and enormously appealing. It isn't a big space, only the size of a modest apartment. There's a small storeroom behind the cash desk that houses several dusty, neglected boxes and a cheap drip coffeemaker Angela brought in during her first week on the job.
She feels her mood lift a fraction at the now-familiar smell of the place. She's always been a book lover, and she and Tina share an eclectic taste in decor, so the whimsy of the antiques shop suits her just fine. There's always a bit of buried treasure to be discovered in here.
Angela flicks the light switches, walks to the old writing desk they use as a sales counter, and slides her purse underneath with her foot. She turns on the computer till-by far the most advanced piece of technology in the shop-then retreats to the storeroom to put on a pot of mercilessly potent dark roast. When she was pregnant, all she drank was decaf, determined that the placebo effect of coffee could still be achieved by brewing it at double strength. But today, with a sharp jab of bitterness to her heart, she puts on a large pot of regular brew.
Chipped mug of coffee in hand, Angela mentally shakes herself and sets about the usual tasks of sorting new inventory and following up on order holds. For the life of her, she can't imagine why the store has stayed in business this long, especially with real estate prices being what they are in this city. The small apartment over the shop has been rented out as additional unnecessary income since the property was first purchased by Angela's aunt Jo (who married Old Money and really has no need for employment). Although she could easily sell the place for a fortune in a matter of days, Angela suspects her aunt has kept the shop running simply for something to talk to her immaculately groomed friends about during their weekly manicures.
Prior to starting at Thompson's, ...
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