Looking for Jane - by Heather Marshall (Paperback)

About the Book

"In this powerful debut novel inspired by true stories, three women's lives are bound together by a long-lost letter, a mother's love, and a secret network of people fighting for the right to choose. 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)"--

Book Synopsis

This "clever and satisfying" (Associated Press) #1 international bestseller for fans of Kristin Hannah and Jennifer Chiaverini follows three women who 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 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).

Review Quotes

"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 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."
-- JANET SKESLIEN CHARLES, New York Times bestselling author of The Paris Library

"A compelling story of three women whose lives become entwined as they each fight for the right to make their own choices about their bodies and motherhood. Beautifully written, with a cast of strong female characters I was rooting for from start to finish. I loved it."
-- CAROLINE BISHOP, author of The Other Daughter and The Lost Chapter

"A confident debut that offers a fascinating, often disturbing insight into the state of Canadian women's reproductive rights in our recent history. . . . Timely."
-- The Globe and Mail

"A heartbreaking, thought-provoking, and shocking story about women's struggle for reproductive choice in Canada."
-- ADRIENNE CHINN, author of The English 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

"A powerful debut . . . an emotional but compelling story, inspired by real events, which takes an eye-opening look at abortion, its costs, and a not-so-distant chapter of Canadian history."
-- Hello! Canada

"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

"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

About the Author

Heather Marshall is the instant #1 bestselling author of Looking for Jane. She worked in politics and communications before turning her attention to her true passion: storytelling. Heather lives with her family near Toronto. Visit her website at HeatherMarshallAuthor.com or connect with her on Instagram @HeatherMarshallAuthor.