Looking for Jane
| Modern Age |
|---|
 Looking for Jane
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| Content Warning |
|---|
| abortion, suicide, suicide attempt, parental death, infertility, rape (off page) |
American History > Modern Age > Women's History
This “powerful debut” (Hello! Canada) for fans of Kristin Hannah and Jennifer Chiaverini 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.
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).
Emily's Review
Wow. This book had me gripped from the beginning and I had a hard time putting it down. The characters, the story, it was all just so compelling. I needed to know what was going to happen.
This is a story about motherhood and the choices women make regarding it. It's a story about women who make hard decisions that some segments of society think they shouldn't be able to make for themselves. Yes, it's about abortion rights, but it's also about adoption, motherhood, family, and relationships.
The story is set in different time periods - we start in 1961, where we meet Evelyn, a young woman who is forced to live in a home for unwed pregnant girls. This place was horrible, run by the Catholic church, and the girls there are forced to give their babies up for adoption. In the 1970s, Evelyn becomes a doctor so she can help girls like her. She joins the Jane Network, providing safe abortions underground. Then we flash forward to the 80s, where we meet Nancy. She has just discovered that she was adopted, though her parents had chosen to never tell her. This information causes her to make some bad decisions, and she finds herself pregnant. She learns about the Jane Network, and it will forever change her life. In 2017, we meet Angela, a woman who is desperately trying to get pregnant. She finds a letter, hidden in a piece of furniture and it sends her on a quest to find the person it was written to.
All of these women's stories intertwine in such a captivating way. It made me cry, and laugh, and rage. I could tell the author did a lot of research to get things right. The ending had me reeling. All of this to say, go read this book. It's important, it's relevant, and it's needed.
Other Similar Books
Other suggestions on the subject of Reproductive Rights.
- Jane Against the World (by: Blumenthal, Karen, YA, A)
- The Fight for Midnight (by: Solomon, Dan, YA)
- Looking for Jane (by: Marshall, Heather, A)
- Take My Hand (by: Perkins-Valdez, Dolen, A)