I cried a bit reading this book as part of Ireland’s shameful history is the treatment that young women like Evelyn and Maggie received in so called homes run by people claiming to be Christian when in fact it was brutal and nothing less than slavery. While it was mainly fiction, it was interesting to learn about the work that the Janes did for other young women and the risks they took. A great read but keep the tissues close by.

3.5 stars

An excellent mix of fact and fiction.
The realities of being unwed and pregnant back in the day were harsh, but equally harsh were those back street abortions.
This paints a good picture of the patient and doctors side at that time in history.

Other timelines are in this story, and it was interesting to guess where exactly they would merge.
A great read, that gives pause for thought.

Woah!!!! I'm astounded by how brilliantly Heather Marshall mixes true history and fiction to finally bring this essential portion of women's history to light. "I wrote Looking for Jane because it needed to be written," the author says emphatically about the book's subject. And I wholeheartedly agree. For years, the issue of abortion and a woman's right to choose has been hushed, suppressed, and thrown under the rug, and I admire her for not only daring to discuss and challenge it in her debut work, but also for doing so with such dignity, power, and eloquence.

This is a moving and lovely storey that I will never forget. I'm looking forward to re-reading it in the near future to fully appreciate the great attention to detail.

I was delighted to be given the opportunity to read Looking for Jane, which explores the history of women's reproductive rights in Canada through the experiences of various women: Evelyn, who is sent to a home for unmarried mothers in the 1960s; Nancy, who becomes involved in a network providing access to safe abortion when it was still illegal; and in the present day, Angela, struggling to conceive a baby with her wife, who by chance becomes connected to the other women.

These women are fictional, but many of the events described are real. The book unflinchingly portrays the consequences of society where women are denied the right to control their own bodies and lives: the harsh, in fact abusive regime of the maternity home where young women were forced into giving up their babies without choice or compassion, the brutal realities of backstreet abortion, the very real danger of arrest and imprisonment for those who worked to provide safe abortions for women who needed them. The underground "Jane Network" was a real thing, starting in Chicago in the late '60s, and the author has used this both as a theme and as a starting point for more personal stories.

Heather Marshall's first novel is a hugely engaging and powerful read about motherhood, pregnancies wanted and unwanted, and the crucial importance of choice.

One minor issue for me was that very few dates are given, which I did find a little confusing as to when things were actually taking place. We know from a letter that Evelyn's story begins in 1961, and can work out more or less when the later events happen, but it's rarely stated.

An excellent, eye-opening read.

An incredibly powerful and thought provoking book that women of today should read to understand the past behind the freedom of choice they largely take for granted. Although set in Canada it is as relevant this side of the Atlantic with the issues of homes for unmarried mother and adoption, particularly in the Catholic community. With outdated laws in a patriarchal society there was no choice whether to continue with the pregnancy or visit an illegal, and often dangerous, back street abortionist, particularly in the postwar period.

There are still stories today emerging from treatment in such cruel institutions, especially in Ireland, which reminded me of the 2013 film Philomena.

Well written and with an amazing set of characters depicting the times in the early sixties and the fight girls and women had to be heard and receive sympathetic treatment.

This book is definitely worth reading.

The premise of Heather Marshall’s Looking for Jane is a very appealing one: the chance discovery of a misdelivered letter sets the woman who stumbled upon it on a quest to find the addressee. Marshall uses this trigger to explore the underground networks that existed in both Canada and the USA providing safe but illegal abortions before it was decriminalised

Angela comes across the letter in a pile of used books addressed to Nancy Mitchell who once lived in the flat above the Toronto shop. It contains a heartfelt confession from Nancy’s adoptive mother who had never told her of her status, striking a chord in Angela who is adopted herself. Wind back to 1961 when Evelyn is waiting for the birth of her child in St Agnes’ Home for Unwed Mothers, knowing that she will be forced to give up this much wanted baby. Two decades later and pregnant, Nancy’s learnt to ask for Jane, the codeword that will lead her to a sympathetic doctor risking a criminal record in order to keep women safe. So grateful is Nancy, she volunteers as a counsellor until the day in 1988 when abortion is finally legalised in Canada. After several twists and turns, all three women’s narratives are satisfyingly drawn together.

Marshall’s novel tells such an immersive, moving story, and tells it so well. Her lengthy author’s note is well worth reading both for context and for her own very personal view.

This is one of those books that makes me realize I'm privileged to read advanced reader copies through Netgalley. Who knows if Looking For Jane otherwise have found its way to me.

About the freedom of choices for women and our collective conscience when it comes to that in a world with laws mostly made by men. Even in this day and age it can be hard to distance oneself from the patriarchy, this could've been said today: 'Do not mistake your humanity for weakness. It is, unfortunately, a common misconception.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for a copy of the book.