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Fiction Historical

Looking for Jane

A Novel

by (author) Heather Marshall

Publisher
Simon & Schuster
Initial publish date
Oct 2024
Category
Historical, Friendship, Contemporary Women
  • eBook

    ISBN
    9781982170240
    Publish Date
    Mar 2022
    List Price
    $15.05 USD
  • Downloadable audio file

    ISBN
    9781668004906
    Publish Date
    Mar 2022
    List Price
    $26.99
  • Paperback / softback

    ISBN
    9781982170233
    Publish Date
    Mar 2022
    List Price
    $24.99
  • Downloadable audio file

    ISBN
    9781797151526
    Publish Date
    Feb 2023
    List Price
    $26.99 USD
  • Paperback / softback

    ISBN
    9781668069547
    Publish Date
    Oct 2024
    List Price
    $14.99

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Where to buy it

Description

For readers of Joanna Goodman and Genevieve Graham comes a masterful debut novel about three women whose lives 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.

Tell them you’re looking for Jane.

2017

When Angela Creighton discovers a mysterious letter containing a life-shattering confession in a stack of forgotten mail, 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 history, 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.

Weaving together the lives of three women, Looking for Jane is an unforgettable debut about the devastating consequences that come from a lack of choice—and the enduring power of a mother’s love.

About the author

Heather Marshall is the instant #1 bestselling author of Looking for Jane. She has a master’s degree in Canadian history and political science and 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 Twitter @HMarshallAuthor and Instagram @HeatherMarshallAuthor.

Heather Marshall's profile page

Editorial Reviews

“Masterful . . . A poignant celebration of motherhood, and a devastating reminder of the consequences of denying women the right to choose. Fierce, beautifully written, and unforgettable.”
FIONA DAVIS, New York Times bestselling author of The Magnolia Palace

“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

“This powerful novel features a trio of strong women whose lives are woven together across the years through a lost letter and a secret network of women fighting for the right to choose. This timely novel about motherhood and choices is a must for all fiction collections.”
Library Journal (Starred Review)

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

“Marshall vividly brings to life the dangers involved with operating Jane . . . A page-turner . . . readers will be moved by the courage and thoughtfulness with which these characters face their dilemmas.”
Publishers Weekly

“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 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

“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

“Gripping from the moment it starts . . . Looking for Jane has the potential to remain pertinent for generations.”
Associated Press

“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