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Looking For Jane by Heather Marshall Book Review

Reasons For Reading This Book:

As I do when I look for a new book to check out from the library I look at book social media accounts for recommendations. I typed the title of a book from one account into my library's website and they did not have the book but Looking For Jane by Heather Marshall was a populated suggestion. I read the description and was instantly intrigued so I checked it out. Abortion and women's rights is a topic that I studied in a high school class and have read some literature on, but since it has been years I was excited to learn more and to learn about the Canadian side of the topic.

Content of This Book:

It's 2017 and while working Angela Creighton discovers a letter from a mother to her daughter that was never successfully delivered. The letter contains life-changing information that Angela is determined to deliver to the letter's intended recipient. Through her research she discovers that the letter's content is connected to an illegal underground abortion network that operated in Toronto in the 1970s. The network's code name was: Jane. As a teenager in 1971 Dr. Evelyn Taylor is sent to a home for fallen mothers where is is forced to give her child up for adoption. Motivated by her experience and trauma she joins the illegal underground Jane Network as an abortion provider, with the purpose of giving women a choice she was not afforded. Its 1981 and Nancy Mitchel is twenty years old. She has just unearthed a long kept family secret that causes her to rethink and question everything. When Nancy unexpectedly becomes pregnant she turns to the Jane Network for help. This choice leads her to later work alongside Dr. Evelyn Taylor, despite the family secrets that haunt her.  

What I Liked About This Book:

As a historic fiction novel I loved that there were both modern and historic chapters. I connected or found relatable parts in all the narrators and truly enjoyed reading their stories. I also found that at times I was more interested in one narrator's plot than I was others, but at some point in the book I favorited each narration. The author's writing and storytelling ability produced every emotion possible from me. There were times I had a smile on my face, times I was fuming with anger, and other times I had tears in my eyes. With this novel being on a specific topic I never felt as though I was being lectured or just reading facts. All facts or pieces of important history were smoothly weaved into the character's narrations. The plot had just the right amount of fast passed action and meaningful heartfelt moments. One last praise I will given this author is the choice of who to have narrate the story. Having the different experiences and perspectives relating to abortion made for a well-rounded picture of how it effects different people. 

What I Disliked About This Book:

I will say the more I read the more confused I got. I found I could not keep the various narrations on storylines separate. I believe I was able to grasp a majority of the plot and the separate story lines but I know I have confused and melded together some of it. I believe my confusion came from all the characters being female, but also because there were so many side characters within the separate narrations that it was hard to distinguish who was who. I also found that the voice and narration was not as distinct for each character making their narrations all read the same. The date stamps were able to alleviate some of the confusion. 

Would I Recommend This Book?

Even though I know that I did not comprehend all of this book I still highly recommend it and enjoyed my time reading it not only for learning more about the topic but also for the connections I felt for the characters. I have recommended this book to my mom to read so I can discuss it with someone and hopefully clear so confusion up. 

Check out my book reviews for 2024!!


Check out my book reviews for 2023!!

Horse by Geraldine Brooks  
Where the Crawdads Sing by Delia Owens
Friday Night Lights by H.G. Bissinger
Luckiest Girl Alive by Jessica Knoll
Hester by Laurie Pico Albanese
The Silent Patient by Alex Michaelides
Environmental and Sustainability Book Reviews 2022
Self-Improvement Book Reviews 2022
American Dirt by Jeanine Cummins
Know My Name by Chanel Miller
The Paris Apartment by Lucy Foley
Not All Diamonds and Rosé by Dave Quinn
The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas
Golden Girl by Elin Hilderbrand
Lessons in Chemistry by Bonnie Garmus
Everything I Know About Love by Dolly Alderton
A Flicker in the Dark by Stacy Willingham 
Girls With Bright Futures by Tracy Dobmeier and Wendy Katzman
Run, Rose, Run by James Patterson and Dolly Parton
The Summer Series by Jenny Han
A Stolen Life: A Memoir by Jaycee Dugard
The Housewives: The Real Story Behind the Real Housewives by Brian Moylan
Verity by Colleen Hoover
All Rhodes Lead Here by Mariana Zapata
Such a Fun Age by Kiley Reid
Our Country Friends by Gary Shteyngart 
Homegoing by Yaa Gyasi
Majesty: American Royals 2 by Kathrine McGree
Every Last Secret by A.R. Torre

Check out my book reviews for 2021!!

2021 Book Rankings

Beach Read By Emily Henry
People We Meet on Vacation by Emily Henry
Maybe In Another Life by Taylor Jenkins Reid
Educated by Tara Westover
The Simple Wild by K.A. Tucker
The Midnight Library by Matt Haig 
The Kitchen Front by Jennifer Ryan
Daisy Jones and the Six by Taylor Jenkins Reid
A Slow Fire Burning by Paula Hawkins 
We Are the Brennans by Tracey Lange
Daisy Jones and the Six by Taylor Jenkins Reid
A Slow Fire Burning by Paula Hawkins 
We Are the Brennans by Tracey Lange
The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo by Taylor Jenkins Reid
Klara and the Sun 
The Nature of Fragile Things by Susan Meissner
American Duchess by Karen Harper 
Detransition, Baby by Torrey Peters
Girl With No Job by Claudia Oshry
Down the Habit Hole by Holly Madison Book Review
My Story by Elizabeth Smart
Layla by Colleen Hoover

Check out my book reviews for 2020!!

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