I was given a copy of this book to review by Netgalley.
A letter waylaid, deep family secrets, and women facing hard choices and impossible situations. This is a book about women: mothers and daughters, women supporting other women, women fighting for autonomy over their own bodies and their reproductive rights. It was not a book I would normally have picked up, and worse it was written in the present tense, which I find unenjoyable to read. Heather Marshall proved to be the outstanding exception to this "rule". I was immediately drawn in by her beautiful prose and her brilliantly fleshed-out characters. Flowing effortlessly between multiple time periods, this book revolves around Canadian women's fight for safe, professional abortion access, through the stories of women struggling with all the possibilities of pregnancy, birth, and motherhood. Incredibly moving, this is a story that will stay with the reader for a long time after the last page has been turned.

This was such a thought provoking book. Heather Marshall has a way of humanising complex issues, weaving the internal worlds of her characters and emotions into the complex web that makes up life and each individual choice within that life. This story presents both sides of the motherhood/abortion stance and it also shows it's not black and white decision despite what people may think or say. The ramifications for a woman choosing to abort can sometimes reverberate throughout her life, also those who are "forced" to give their babies away suffer long after the deed is done, there are also the ramifications for a child born to a woman who can't financially provide or emotionally be available for it. So many lives affected by many decisions. Not all good or all bad but often weighted in despair and terror and aloneness and fear. The fear of being judged, abandoned, disowned - and excluded. Damned if you do, damned if you don't.

This is such a wonderful debut, from a Canadian author no less. I loved it being set in my hometown of Toronto, Canada. It was nice to recognize places and to be able to picture streets and neighbourhoods was a bonus I really felt immersed into it. This story was so well thought out and really hit me with all the feels...an amazing heart wrenching story with multiple characters that stay with you long after you finished. All. The. Stars.

Not a five star read for me, but I did enjoy this. Living in Toronto, it was cool to hear mention of places I see all the time. I liked the historical aspect; I honestly didn't know too much about the history of abortion or the homes for unwed mothers and what went on there, although as they were church-run, it doesn't surprise me. It's kind of astonishing how quickly values and the way families acted have changed in such a short amount of time.

I liked the characters, especially Evelyn. Not so much Angela, I feel like her narrative could have been left out as it didn't really add anything to the mix. I also wasn't sure if the identify reveal really worked at the end, but I guess the other alternative wouldn't have had resolution.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Looking for Jane by Heather Marshall is a powerful, complex and emotional story. The story spans from the 1960s to 2017, and connects a Home for Unwed Mothers, an illegal underground abortion network, and an antique shop. The story outlines the devastating consequences that come from a lack of choice, which is unfortunately still an important and necessary reminder in 2021 and how a network of people willing to take risks, can make a a huge impact. At its root, Looking for Jane, is a story about a mothers love. This was a book I could not put down.

Thank you to NetGalley and Simon & Schuster Canada for an ARC of this book, in exchange for an honest review.