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teachandcreate's review
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
informative
inspiring
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Abortion
Moderate: Emotional abuse, Physical abuse, Sexual assault, and Suicide
bethanneguc's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
informative
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Abortion
amandat's review against another edition
Not for me. Seems to be designed to elicit a very specific emotional response and that bothers me. Like Jodi Picot and Kristen Hannah.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Infertility, Miscarriage, and Abortion
jeebi1506's review
emotional
informative
medium-paced
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Miscarriage, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Abortion, and Pregnancy
poisonenvy's review against another edition
emotional
informative
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.5
Looking for Jane is Heather Marshall's first novel, and in many ways, it shows.
It tells the story of three women whose stories start at different points in history, though all their stories do intersect at certain points: There's Evelyn, a young woman in the sixties who was forced to go to a home for Wayward Girls: aka, women who became pregnant outside of marriage and were forced to give up their babies. There's Nancy, a young woman in the 1980s who becomes pregnant and needs to seek out an illegal abortion, thereby stumbling on the Jane Network: an underground network that provided safe abortions for people who needed them. And then there's Angela, a woman who's undergoing treatments to become pregnant after she and her wife had struggled with fertility. The story kicks off with her discovering a letter from a mother, telling her daughter that she'd been adopted, and confessing that she discovered afterward that her birth mother had never wanted to give her up.
But more than any of these three women, the novel tells the history of abortion rights in Canada.
And I mean that literally. Unfortunately, none of the characters are especially fleshed out. They very often become mouthpieces, and seemed more like vehicles to relay the history of reproductive rights in Canada than characters that I could really bring myself to care about.
The prose was often clunky and stilted (and was in third-person present tense, which is my least favourite of all narration styles), and sometimes veered into dangerously purple territory. And, at times, the story just felt <i>contrived</i> so that we could be sure that the characters were where they needed to be. There was a surprise twist near the end that surprised me, and <i>not</i> in a good way (the surprise wasn't a bad one, it just didn't feel like it really fit and I wondered if it didn't raise some inconsistencies, though I'm unlikely to do a reread to find out if they're really there or not).
Criticisms aside though, this story is important, and tells a very important part of Canadian history. Marshall has clearly done her research, and while the story sometimes suffers so she could expound on that history/research, it was still very informative. I have no doubt that Marshall could have written a very good non-fiction book on the subject. Clunky writing aside, it's also very easy to read and digest.
And I would absolutely recommend this novel to anyone who cares to learn more about Canada's history with reproductive rights, especially if they would prefer to have that information come in the form of fiction over non-fiction.
It tells the story of three women whose stories start at different points in history, though all their stories do intersect at certain points: There's Evelyn, a young woman in the sixties who was forced to go to a home for Wayward Girls: aka, women who became pregnant outside of marriage and were forced to give up their babies. There's Nancy, a young woman in the 1980s who becomes pregnant and needs to seek out an illegal abortion, thereby stumbling on the Jane Network: an underground network that provided safe abortions for people who needed them. And then there's Angela, a woman who's undergoing treatments to become pregnant after she and her wife had struggled with fertility. The story kicks off with her discovering a letter from a mother, telling her daughter that she'd been adopted, and confessing that she discovered afterward that her birth mother had never wanted to give her up.
But more than any of these three women, the novel tells the history of abortion rights in Canada.
And I mean that literally. Unfortunately, none of the characters are especially fleshed out. They very often become mouthpieces, and seemed more like vehicles to relay the history of reproductive rights in Canada than characters that I could really bring myself to care about.
The prose was often clunky and stilted (and was in third-person present tense, which is my least favourite of all narration styles), and sometimes veered into dangerously purple territory. And, at times, the story just felt <i>contrived</i> so that we could be sure that the characters were where they needed to be. There was a surprise twist near the end that surprised me, and <i>not</i> in a good way (the surprise wasn't a bad one, it just didn't feel like it really fit and I wondered if it didn't raise some inconsistencies, though I'm unlikely to do a reread to find out if they're really there or not).
Criticisms aside though, this story is important, and tells a very important part of Canadian history. Marshall has clearly done her research, and while the story sometimes suffers so she could expound on that history/research, it was still very informative. I have no doubt that Marshall could have written a very good non-fiction book on the subject. Clunky writing aside, it's also very easy to read and digest.
And I would absolutely recommend this novel to anyone who cares to learn more about Canada's history with reproductive rights, especially if they would prefer to have that information come in the form of fiction over non-fiction.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Infertility, Sexism, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Forced institutionalization, Religious bigotry, Medical trauma, Abortion, Suicide attempt, and Pregnancy
Moderate: Miscarriage, Misogyny, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Terminal illness, and Police brutality
Minor: Infidelity, Dementia, and Death of parent
mmkiel's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.25
A beautiful story told in short chapters which skip around in both time and point of view and weave together a poignant novel. All narrators are women who are in some way connected to the Jane underground network for abortion. Themes touched on in the book include motherhood, love, family, friendship, standing up for what is right, bravery, and more. Heartfelt and thought provoking - a must read!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Gun violence, Suicide, and Abortion
klbreyfogle's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
inspiring
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child abuse, Death, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Forced institutionalization, Blood, Medical content, Medical trauma, Abortion, and Suicide attempt
Moderate: Rape and Grief
abbeyroad1410's review
challenging
emotional
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
The twist ending really saved this one. It was an ending I didn't see coming but in a good way. Like God. I gasped aloud reading this ending, and went back to re-read the chapter.
This book is definitely slow at times, and while I appreciate the clear message that everyone deserves a choice in motherhood, sometimes it felt like it was being hammered into my head a bit too hard. Reading from the perspective of various characters across time is always very interesting (and made the ending that much better), but sometimes I wondered about the purpose of Angela in the story. She is very much a plot device (with her own, kind of incomplete motherhood story) that has many chapters dedicated to her perspective. I think it was part of what made the story slow.
The main characters all offer a dynamic perspective on the idea of motherhood and what makes someone a mother. It is understanding of the complicated relationship with adoption, abortion, and IVF. Nancy and Evelyn have very exciting stories that suck in a reader. Angela has a healthy relationship with complex issues but a lot of love and support.
Overall, I would recommend this book if you like a creative perspective that offers a political opinion.
This book is definitely slow at times, and while I appreciate the clear message that everyone deserves a choice in motherhood, sometimes it felt like it was being hammered into my head a bit too hard. Reading from the perspective of various characters across time is always very interesting (and made the ending that much better), but sometimes I wondered about the purpose of Angela in the story. She is very much a plot device (with her own, kind of incomplete motherhood story) that has many chapters dedicated to her perspective. I think it was part of what made the story slow.
The main characters all offer a dynamic perspective on the idea of motherhood and what makes someone a mother. It is understanding of the complicated relationship with adoption, abortion, and IVF. Nancy and Evelyn have very exciting stories that suck in a reader. Angela has a healthy relationship with complex issues but a lot of love and support.
Overall, I would recommend this book if you like a creative perspective that offers a political opinion.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Suicide, Abortion, and Suicide attempt
Moderate: Miscarriage and Violence
Minor: Death of parent
breanna_gaudaur's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
emotional
informative
inspiring
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
3.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Confinement, Emotional abuse, Infertility, Miscarriage, Physical abuse, Self harm, Forced institutionalization, Abortion, Suicide attempt, and Pregnancy
cc_shelflove's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
Inhale. Exhale. Inhale. Exhale. This is me teaching myself how to breathe again, because I almost forgot. I am simply astounded by what I just read. Looking for Jane is written in a way that makes the reader feel like he or she is a part of something big. Furthermore, to write about true events without conveying the facts like you are writing a research paper is a real skill, and Heather Marshall has mastered it. Inspired by true stories, we follow our main characters through three separate timelines: 1971, 1980, and 2017. There is a ton of foreshadowing in this book, and I STILL did not guess the big giant whopping colossal enormous supercalifragilisticexpialidocious twist at the end. Talk about tears! As mentioned in the author's note, this book is about abortion and the right to choose, but it is also about so much more. I think there is room for a sequel, because something Sister Agatha said to Nancy was not addressed or revisited. I would love to read more. I'm going to go hug my mom now. Wow.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Confinement, Emotional abuse, Infertility, Miscarriage, Self harm, Suicide, Terminal illness, Forced institutionalization, Medical content, Medical trauma, Abortion, Suicide attempt, Death of parent, and Pregnancy
Moderate: Child death, Rape, and Grief
Minor: Blood