Looking For Jane - Heather Marshall

When I was picking books for 2023, I came across Looking for Jane and knew I had to add it to our list. Not only is it a debut novel and Canadian, it is also a relevant topic for today.

The author of Looking For Jane, Heather Marshall, has described the book as being about motherhood and choices. This is true, but the book touches on so much more, from maternity homes in the 1960's, to back alley abortions in the 1970's, to legalization of abortion in the 1980's, and the impact of all of those choices.

We start out in the 1960's with Evelyn Taylor. She was engaged to be married and tragically her fiancé died a few months before the wedding. Then Evelyn found out she was pregnant. Because she was unwed, her parents forced her into a maternity home run by the church. She was expected to work for her keep, both during and after the pregnancy, in terrible conditions. And she was forced to give up her baby, even though she was desperate to keep it. The maternity home was a horrible experience, but it pushed Evelyn to follow her dreams of becoming a doctor. And it led her to learn how to perform abortions so she could help women avoid the same situation she experienced.

In the 1970's we meet Nancy Mitchell. She helps her cousin get an illegal abortion that leads them to the emergency room where her cousin almost dies. A helpful doctor tells her about the Jane network and advises her that if she or any of her friends ever find themselves in this position again, to call doctor offices asking for Jane. Nancy was adopted in the 1960's. Her parents kept it a secret, but Nancy eventually learned the truth, which put her into a bit of a depression. She ends up pregnant and looks for Jane. This brings her to Evelyn. After the abortion, Nancy volunteers for the Jane network with Evelyn where she helps to counsel patients before the procedure.

In the present day, we have Angela Creighton. Angela and her partner Tina have been trying to have a baby for months. The emotional roller coaster is starting to take its toll on them, but Angela is determined to have a biological child. She was adopted and even though she has wonderful adoptive parents and has met her biological mother, she feels a strong pull to have her own child. Angela works in an old book store and comes across a letter that was delivered to the wrong address seven years ago. In order to find it's owner, she reads the letter. In that letter, a mother is confessing to keeping a secret from her daughter. This letter leads to the three women coming together in present day.

I won't spoil the story for you. There are lots of intersecting pieces to this story that kept it interesting. At times the book was heart wrenching, at times uplifting, and at times infuriating.

When Jen and I discussed the book, the conversation quickly turned to the state of the world today. Neither of us realized that abortion was legalized in the US in the 1970's, a decade before it was legalized in Canada. And now portions of the US are going backwards (in our opinion). We both feel outrage that the rights of women are being chipped away. And neither of us understand why a government feels that it can regulate a woman's body. It doesn't make sense to force a woman to have a baby they don't want, especially when there are no supports in place to help her take care of that baby. And don't get us started on some of the men that take no responsibility and get away with it.

Both Jen and I were shocked and infuriated that women were subjected to maternity homes where they were forced to give away their children. If you read the author's notes at the end of the book, you'll see that a Senate Committee recommended the government acknowledge their part in this practice and apologize to the women, many of whom are no longer living. But a government that seems to apologize to everyone and their dog has so far not apologized for this.

Back to the book review. We both really enjoyed this book. There was a big twist near the end that I didn't see coming at all, while Jen had her suspicions. The twist made the book even more tragic, but the ending was mostly satisfying.

We both highly recommend this book!

Until next time, have a drink, read a book, and be happy!