52 pages • 1 hour read
Looking for Jane
A modern alternative to SparkNotes and CliffsNotes, SuperSummary offers high-quality Study Guides with detailed chapter summaries and analysis of major themes, characters, and more.
Summary and Study Guide
Overview
Heather Marshall’s Looking for Jane is a historical fiction novel published in Canada and the United Kingdom in 2022 and the US in 2023. The story follows three main characters living in Toronto from the 1960s to the 2010s. All three women are deeply impacted by the struggle for reproductive rights in Canada, their lives becoming intertwined with a secret network of volunteers and health care providers known as the Janes, who risk arrest and other dangers to provide illegal abortion services. Though fictional, the novel is based on true events and organizations from the US and Canada during the latter half of the 20th century. In addition to Bodily Autonomy and Reproductive Rights, the novel also explores themes of Motherhood as both Universal and Personal and Justice Under Unjust Systems.
This guide refers to the American version of the text, published by Atria Books in February 2023.
Content Warning: The source material contains descriptions of abortion, miscarriage, death by suicide, and sexual assault; the guide also quotes an instance of misogynistic language.
Plot Summary
In a Prologue set in 2010, a letter is misdelivered to Thompson’s Antiques and Used Books in Toronto. The letter was intended for Unlock all 52 pages of this Study Guide Plus, gain access to 8,900+ more expert-written Study Guides. Including features:
