The meeting of the Book Club was on October 10th at The Fairfield Seniors Center. The book discussed was “Looking for Jane“, written by Heather Marshall. Kathryn Raymond led a very interesting discussion including some very personal experiences related to this Historical Fiction book.
On its surface, Looking for Jane is an emotionally charged, meticulously researched and deftly plotted book about an underground abortion service operating in the years before abortion was legalized in Canada. But it is so much more than that! It’s a masterful debut about motherhood and choices, the things that stay with us and change us at our core forever. Weaving together the tales of three women with a shared connection across three decades, Marshall tackles a time in the very recent past when women seeking an abortion, possibly after a rape, had to risk their lives or freedom to get one.
Regardless of your feelings on this subject, this is not just an emotional read about tragedy, choice, courage, and fate, but also an important one, which puts a very human face to a complex issue. Sadly, the launch of this book in the U.S., was at the same time as the Supreme Court decided to overturn Roe v.s. Wade! How fortunate we are to live in Canada, where choice was approved for all women due to the hard work of the many brave women showcased in this Historical Fiction novel. Thanks to the research of author Heather Marshall in her quest for accuracy, this book includes stories of women that lived during those times and experienced the challenges that faced them then.
To learn more about the book and the author, click on the link below to see a TVO interview with Heather Marshall on YouTube called How Pregnancy Shaped Generations of Women:
Probus Club of Kingsway-Islington 