Looking for Jane: A Novel Book Review

Pregnancy and abortion have been part of the human experience for eons. Unfortunately, they have been turned into cultural, religious, or political pawns for those in power to mold society as they see fit.

Looking for Jane: A Novel, by Heather Marshall, was published this month. The story takes place in three timelines that eventually intertwine. In the early 1960s, Evelyn is an unwed pregnant teenage girl. She has been sent to a “home” to prepare for the birth of her child. Once she gives birth, she will return to her family as if nothing has happened. A decade later, she is a doctor and part of an underground network to provide safe abortions.

In 1980, Nancy makes two earth-shattering discoveries. The first is that she was adopted. The second is that she is pregnant and knows that she is not ready to be a parent. Without no one to turn to, she finds the Janes. After her procedure is done by Evelyn, she joins the group. But while is living a double life, her secrets weigh on her.

In 2017, Angela is a bookstore owner in Toronto. While she and her wife are desperately trying to get pregnant, she discovers a letter that opens the door to a decades-old mystery.

I loved this book. It was engaging, entertaining, and to be frank, it made me angry. Granted, drama makes for good fiction. But the real women’s stories behind the novel shouldn’t have occurred in the first place. It is a reminder that Roe v. Wade and other similar legalization is still a necessity.

Unlike last year’s Call Jane, the legal and medical danger in Evelyn and Nancy’s time is part and parcel of their experience. What the author does successfully ensure all of her protagonists have equal weight within the narrative. It is difficult to balance a tale of this kind with two storylines. Three is asking for trouble if it is not done properly. Thankfully, Marshall succeeds.

If nothing else, it is a reminder of how far we have come and how far we need to go.

Do I recommend it? Absolutely.

Looking for Jane: A Novel is available wherever books are sold.

Best Movies of 2022

1. Black Panther: Wakanda Forever: After the death of Chadwick Boseman (T’Challa/Black Panther), the questions on how the IP would continue without its leading man seemed endless. Black Panther‘s sequel is both the perfect memorial to Boseman and a continuation of the narrative.
2. Avatar: The Way of Water: The 13-year wait for the follow-up to Avatar was worth it. The themes of climate change are just as relevant now as they were in 2009.
3. She Said: Based on the book of the same name, it tells the heart-pounding story to uncover the sexual assault allegations against Harvey Weinstein. NY Times reporters Megan Twohey (Carey Mulligan) and Jodi Kantor (Zoe Kazan) take on Weinstein and the Hollywood machine in a way that is jaw-dropping.
4. Elvis: Austin Butler transforms himself into Elvis Presley, adding new layers to the music icon.
5. Call Jane: Elizabeth Banks plays a housewife whose pregnancy is not going well in the days before Roe v. Wade. Denied an abortion by the local hospital, she finds an underground group and soon joins them in their mission to help women.
6. Hocus Pocus 2: After 29 years, the Sanderson sisters are back. It has enough of its predecessor while holding its own in the best way possible.
7. Mr. Malcolm’s List: Based on the book of the same name by Suzanne Allain, Mr. Malcolm is the most coveted bachelor in this Jane Austen-inspired narrative. In order to fend off marriageable young ladies and their match-making mamas, he creates a list of qualities that his wife should have. Little does he know that it will soon be moot.
8. Downton Abbey: A New Era: This second film in the franchise opens the door to new stories while closing old ones in perfect fashion.
9. Cyrano: This musical adaptation of Cyrano de Bergerac starring Peter Dinklage adds new flavors to the well-known tale.
10. The Tragedy of Macbeth: Shot in stark black and white, Denzel Washington and Frances McDormand star as the power-hungry and bloodthirsty Macbeth and Lady Macbeth.

Call Jane Movie Review

Though it seems as Roe was settled law (that is until this past June) forever, the truth is that it was just a hair’s breadth away from the half-century mark.

The new movie, Call Jane, is based on a true story. It takes place in 1968 in Chicago. Joy (Elizabeth Banks) is a middle-aged, happily married homemaker with one child and another on the way. During a visit to the doctor, she is told that her pregnancy is endangering her life. She has two choices: end the pregnancy or take a chance that both she and the fetus survive.

Naturally, the procedure is denied by the hospital board. Taking the underground route, fate leads Joy to the Janes. Among them are Virginia (Sigourney Weaver) and Gwen (Wunmi Mosaku). The Janes are a collective of women whose goal is to provide safe (and illegal) abortions.

Joy quickly gets involved with the Janes, causing her husband, daughter, and neighbor/bestie Lana (Kate Mara) to wonder what she is up to. The question is, when will Joy fess up and will she have to be bailed out of jail?

I hate to say it, but I have mixed feelings about this film.

What’s good about the movie is that it is not about politics, but the story of an average woman having to make an incredibly difficult decision. Then, as now, it points out the obvious: those who have money will have the ability to end the pregnancy safely. Those who don’t will have to resort to dangerous and life-threatening methods.

What’s bad about it is the lack of tension and the slow pacing. I wanted to feel Joy’s anxiety and apprehension about what she was getting involved in, but I didn’t. I also wanted to feel like the police were forever on their heels and the Janes had to be one step ahead of them.

Do I recommend it? Maybe.

Call Jane is presently in theaters.

Thoughts On the Call Jane Trailer

Martin Luther King Jr. once said the following about our laws:

One has not only a legal but a moral responsibility to obey just laws. Conversely, one has a moral responsibility to disobey unjust laws. Any law that uplifts human personality is just.

The trailer for the new movie, Call Jane, is the story of Joy (Elizabeth Banks), a woman who just found out that she is pregnant in the days before Roe v. Wade. Told by her doctor that the pregnancy is a danger to her life, she first goes through the “proper” channels to receive medical care. Unable to get the abortion, she discovers an underground network. Known as “Jane” Joy gets help from a number of women. Among them is Virginia (Sigourney Weaver).

I have seen the trailer twice and I am so ready to see the full movie. It is extremely timely and a reminder of how important it is for women to have full control of their own bodies and futures. What I am liking about the film (based on the trailer) is that it points out that some things remain the same, even after fifty-plus years.

Call Jane will be in theaters in the US on October 28. I can’t think of a better way to celebrate Halloween than a scary story of my rights being taken away.