Heather Marshall did an excellent job in her debut novel! Honestly, I was very surprised this is a debut because it reads like it was written by a seasoned author with numerous works in her name. Looking for Jane takes you through a whirlwind of emotions as you dive into the lives of three women with deeply personal stories. There’s a good bit of sadness and heartache in this book, but there is also a great sense of empowerment and female camaraderie. I have to admit I was very hesitant about reading it. I normally stay away from books with political/hot topic storylines, but I’m glad I took a chance on it. I do feel like I should give a warning, though, for anyone who might be triggered by subjects dealing with abortion, miscarriage, and suicide. If this doesn’t bother you, then by all means add Looking for Jane to your reading list.

Shame. Secrets. Suffering. What an awesome book!

A letter is misdelivered. It turns up many years later. We follow a few women through the decades.

Remember: My body. My choice. My right.

Thanks to Netgalley!

What a timely book, though I noticed it was published in Canada prior to our mid term elections. I read this book prior to the midterms, and wished that it had been out there for everyone to read prior. Thankfully we collectively as a nation rose up and make our voices known, but this book would have been helpful to educate all of us on what life was like prior to Roe v Wade. A well researched and a times chilling tale of how women were treated both in getting back alley abortions and being warehoused in facilities with no dignity or rights to their children. when they chose to keep the pregnancy and then give their children up. Highly recommended for all public libraries.

This was a beautiful book about an issue still very prominent in 2022 American society, especially with the overturning of Roe v. Wade earlier this year. I learned a lot about the Canadian abortion movement and the history behind it, from figures like Dr. Morgentaler to forced adoption and maternity homes to the Jane Collective.

The story is chunked into three sections (pre-abortion movement, the legalization of abortion, and what constitutes as the modern-day result), but the stories and characters all connect together. I thought the weaving of stories was very well done; there was enough foreshadowing that you could reasonably guess what was going to happen, but still a sense of everything clicking into place when the connections were finally revealed.

It's a very thought-provoking read and really sticks with you. 10/10 would read again.

I don’t know where to start with this review and what I can possible say to show how much I loved this!

Looking for Jane is a Historical Fiction read about an underground network that provided safe abortions in Canada during the late 60s, 70s and early 80s. Told through three perspectives, set in three different timelines, the author sets out to show the power in female voices, the continuous fight for women’s rights, the importance of motherhood and of course, love. The three stories are weaved together seamlessly, the author’s writing is top-notch and there is an element of mystery/ suspense that will keep you turning the pages. I felt such empathy for these women and also grafitication for all the people who were part of the fight for women’s rights.

If you are skeptical about historical fiction reads, I’d definitely give this one a try. While it includes historical facts, it all felt very timely and relevant and the book reads more like a women’s fiction. A fantastic and strong debut!

Read if you like:
-Canadian history
-Women’s rights
-Seamlessly weaved storylines
-Strong debuts

Thank you Atria for the ARC. Pub date 2/7/22

Thank you to NetGalley and Atria Books for this ARC. 1970's - Evelyn and Maggie are both shipped off to a home of "wayward girls" to finish out their pregnancies and both made to give up their babies at birth. 1980's - Evelyn, now a doctor, joins The Jane Network of physicians that will perform abortions, in a safe, clean environment though they are illegal. 2017 - Angela comes across a letter in the antique store she works in. A letter written by a mother to her adopted daughter explaining her beginnings though the letter never reached its rightful owner. This is NOT a political post, nor is it open for discussion about abortion rights or beliefs on this forum. This book is about mothers, no matter the path that takes you. It was well written! #LookingForJane #HeatherMarshall #Feb2023

Looking for Jane by Heather Marshall is a wonderful historical fiction debut novel.
A great story about three ladies whose lives are fused together by a long-lost letter, a mother’s love, and a secret group of women fighting for the right to choose.
All the characters burst with emotion here. And the different timelines really show the reader
This is a fantastic and fascinating story that will sweep readers away.
Marshall really shows how difficult it was for women back then. With her vivid description and brilliant storytelling.
If you enjoy historical fiction, I cannot recommend Looking for Jane enough.
Inspired by true stories. readers are bound to love this story.

"I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own."

Atria Books,
Thank You for your generosity and gifting me a copy of this eARC!

I was lucky enough to win a digital ARC of LOOKING FOR JANE by by Heather Marshall in a Shelf Awareness giveaway. Thanks for the early look, and have a safe holiday season!

This book follows 3 main characters. Angela finds a long-lost letter inside an antique desk. She is then faced with the dilemma of whether to contact the intended recipient or not. Dr Evelyn Taylor was once a resident at a home for unwed mothers who were forced to give their children up for adoption. She grew up to be an active member of the Jane network. Finally, we have Nancy who accidently discovered a family secret. Following this discovery, she also becomes involved with the Jane network.

The author takes the readers on a journey from unwed mothers being forced to give their children up in the 1960s all the way thru Canada's legalization of abortion in the 1980s. We experience the highs and lows of this journey alongside the main characters. i found myself worrying about the patients. Worrying about the doctors. I held my breath as I worried they would be caught and put in jail.

I loved this book. I hadn't previously heard of the Jane movement. I found this book to be very informative of the fight for abortion rights, and the women behind that fight. It's sad how in 2022, we still have to fight for reproductive rights.

Looking for Jane is a testament to history and to the the fight to keep abortions legal. I was sent an e copy of this book by the publisher in exchange for an email to her with my thoughts about the book. While it was a page turner, in terms of plot, it was an important book as it put the abortion rights issue into an historical context. While the book is set in Canada and depicts the lives of women who fought for abortion rights through an underground network; it seems not too different from the experiences that women all over the world have gone through when abortions are not legal. The notes after the book are wonderful, with explanations about the homes that unwed mothers lived in, the Jane networks and the recent rulings in the United States. I write this just days after 4 states voted to codify the right for a woman to choose an abortion despite the United States Supreme Court ruling that overturned Roe v Wade this past summer. While there is more work to be done in other states, having this book on the market bringing awareness to the issue of a woman's right to choose is a bonus. A wonderful way to bring the issues to light.

So I may have read this a little too fast. And since this doesn't come out until February I might end up reading this again just because I loved it. I was approved for this early this morning and I DEVOURED IT!! I never would have realized this was a debut until someone told me. This is an author to look out for. Three stories all flow together to a wonderful conclusion. If you love historical fiction then this one is for you and should be on your radar.

A timely story,
powerful and important,
well-written, touching.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

I write haiku reviews on Instagram but am happy to provide more color, if preferred!

Wow! I’m super impressed that this is a debut novel.

This book was inspired by true stories and intertwines three different characters as they navigate love, loss, and a woman’s right to choose.

I really liked this! It was deeply emotional and very timely.

There were a few things that took away from the story for me. One was part of Nancy’s story. I didn’t understand her decision to hide her adoption from her husband. It may very well be because I was not adopted and I don’t understand the emotions bound up in that, but I felt that he could have helped her through it. Instead, it ended up causing a rift because she chose to tell him something much more polarizing (again, in my opinion).

I also didn’t 100% buy the story of Evelyn. I didn’t believe that she would have done what she did. The story felt more plausible before the twist was revealed.

Overall though, I thought this was very powerful.

CW/TW: Abortion, miscarriage, suicide, suicide attempt, blood, death of parent

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.

Heather Marshall in Looking for Jane, bring's to the page a cautionary tale with a host of character's, in several different situations, at different points in their life and time, that revolve on the hot topic now, of abortion. Sadly, an issue that is front and center, in a country that thinks itself as "evolved" as the United States claims. While our country advocates rights for all, recently we saw the Supreme Court overturn Roe vs. Wade, taking away a woman's legal right to a safe abortion, essentially, taking away a woman’s right to do what she wants with her own body and her life.

As Marshall’s story comes to life on page, through her characters', she elicits emotions so strong for a reader that I spent much of my time with tears in my eyes and my husband frequently turning to me saying, "What's wrong?" After the first couple times he no longer asked knowing it was "the book" that was making me emote so strongly. I have never read a book where I have been so emotionally engaged with the characters as in Looking For Jane.

The characters in the story tell us of the things that can happen when women no longer have a legal right to abortion. Marshall looks at the issue from many vantage points with her characters over the years, whether it be while they are pregnant, after pregnancies, as an adopted child, among other storylines of the characters throughout. Whether the pregnant woman sought out an illegal means to solve her pregnancy, faced the problems that could occur in this, or, was forced to give her child up to be sold into adoption, the women in the story all have to find a way to deal with this and be able to live with what had been done. Sadly, this isn’t so easy for some of those, most of those, in this book. If they found a way, their life was forever changed.

Just as it is in life, there is not always success in the way in which we choose to do things. The author stresses that, in her character’s stories. While there are many women portrayed on the pages who did make their way through this archaic time without destroying their future, while the story of the book has an end, with the destruction of Roe vs. Wade, in current reality, we have only traveled right back to where Marshall’s story begins.

That is why, with the release of this book in the United States, we all need to read it. To be reminded of what times were like, the past. I don’t think we have those memories, we don’t realize how bad things were. This book will help others remember. Remember what once was, was no more, and now, with what the U.S. has done, what we begin again, all over. The story will only continue.

Most of all though, I’d like to thank the author, Heather Marshall, for this book, if only, to help us remember. Right now is the best time to do that.

Cannot thank NetGalley enough for the privilege to read an advanced copy of Looking for Jane on my kindle. The author, Heather Marshall, took the reader down the back alleys, political protests, maternity homes, hospitals, doctor's offices, and clandestine meetings to reveal what it took to either give up a baby in Canada or try to get an abortion in Canada before it was legalized.

I was truly invested in this book as I grew up in Buffalo, New York just a bridge between the US and Canada. I was just 16 when I had an abortion before Roe V Wade. It was a Therapeutic Procedure dues to my age and it was performed in a hospital. I will forever be eternally grateful to my Gynecologist at that time, Dr. Robert Patterson for his compassion and insight.

The bravery of the women in this book is beyond heroic. I was surprised to learn that Canada approved abortion 15 years after the United States did. I had never heard of the Jane Network until this book but once again it shows how women band together as sisters united to help others.

Heather Marshall's notes at the end show the fabric of the woman that she is. She is one to rally behind women for a worthwhile cause. Her emotions of the day that the US Supreme Court overturned Row V Wade mimicked mine. I would love to read more from this author who is fighting the good fight!

Wow! Such a profound, timely read that is especially relevant following the overturning of Roe vs Wade in the U.S. I absolutely loved this book. I enjoyed the 3 different character POVs, at three different times, surrounding a letter delivered to the wrong address. Historical fiction, when well-done, is one of my favorite genres, because I’m an academic at heart and I love learning. Marshall has a great writing style that is easy to read but still full of depth. The characters were strong women who read like real characters. I enjoyed the beginning and end the most, I found the middle to occasionally drag. An incredibly strong debut and I’m eager to read what Marshall writes next.

Highly recommend reading the Author’s Note after finishing, it was great to see where Marshall drew inspiration from.

“Looking for Jane is about motherhood. About wanting to be a mother and not wanting to be a mother, and all the gray areas in between.”

WOW! Powerfully written book about women, mothers, babies, pregnancy and abortion. As well as our rights to choose what happens to our bodies. I grew up in a fundamentalist religion and even though I was always told that abortion was wrong (and I don't think I would choose it for myself, although I've never been in a situation where I had to) I still felt that it was WRONG to take someone else's choices away from them. So the abortion debate has always been a bit of a conundrum for me. Because I always felt like it was a personal decision that wasn't up to me to decide.

Now, after stating all of that, I very much enjoyed the book. I did not expect the twist at the end at all! It really pulled me in and I wanted to find out what happened. I wanted to know the end.
And it was definitely worth the time to read.

The struggle of motherhood both of forced and chosen, pregnancy by accident or through the hard work of fertility treatments, countless miscarriages to adoption.... this book covers it all. This book does have abortion as a topic and if you are sensitive to that topic it may not be the best read for you. However it was excellently written and if you have ever been a mother even for the briefest time or thought that you should have a choice over your own body or can understand the mental and emotional struggle that pregnancy and social pressure puts women though..... then this is definitely worth a read.

Such a great novel and relevant to today’s struggle over abortion rights. This story is a good reminder of how far we’ve come and where we don’t want to go back to!