Looking for Jane

1. General Impressions

Gather initial thoughts and broad opinions about the book.

• What were your expectations when beginning Looking for Jane? Did the novel meet them?
• Which of the three main storylines did you find most engaging, and why?
• Looking for Jane was Heather Marshall’s debut novel. Are you interested in reading more from her? Why or why not?
• Looking for Jane touches on many difficult topics, including miscarriage, suicide, and sexual assault. Did you think it handled these issues sensitively? Do you think there is value in reading about such topics?

2. Personal Reflection and Connection

Encourage readers to connect the book’s themes and characters with their personal experiences.

• Abortion remains a controversial issue for many people. Did the novel change how you think about the topic in any way, whether by challenging your views or strengthening them? Do you think it is possible to find common ground in this debate?
• How did you feel about Nancy and Evelyn’s involvement with the Jane Network? Is breaking the law justified if the law itself is unjust? Why or why not?
• Why do you think Nancy’s adoptive parents kept her origins hidden from her? Would you forgive them for the deception, under similar circumstances? 
• Several of the characters make unforeseen discoveries about their family over the course of the novel. Have you ever learned something unexpected about where you came from? How did it change your understanding of yourself, if at all? 

3. Societal and Cultural Context

Examine the book’s relevance to societal issues, historical events, or cultural themes.

• The novel is set in Canada, but it was published shortly after Roe v. Wade, which protected abortion rights, was overturned in the US. How does the novel frame the fight to secure reproductive rights as an ongoing struggle? Likewise, how does it expand the discussion beyond abortion rights, and why?
• Consider Evelyn and Tom’s marriage of convenience. What parallels does the novel suggest between the reproductive rights movement and the gay rights movement? 
• The experience of motherhood takes many different forms in the novel, from Evelyn/Maggie’s pregnancy as a young, unmarried woman to Angela’s struggles with fertility treatments. Does the novel suggest that motherhood itself has changed in tandem with society (for example, due to the invention of reproductive technologies like IVF)? Or do some aspects of motherhood remain constant across time and place?

4. Literary Analysis

Dive into the book’s structure, characters, themes, and symbolism.

• How does the novel’s nonlinear structure impact its pacing and mood? What thematic purpose(s) does the interweaving of the characters’ stories serve?
• Discuss Maggie’s rebirth as Evelyn, comparing and contrasting her characterization before and after the name change. What is the personal significance of her decision? How does it intersect with the novel’s themes? 
• Many of the women who seek or provide abortions through the Jane Network are (or go on to become) mothers. How does this contribute to the novel’s overall portrayal of motherhood?
• Consider letters as a motif in Looking for Jane. How do they connect (or separate) the characters? To what extent does the novel frame miscommunication as the result of oppressive societal structures? Does the novel suggest that there are any advantages to written communication in such circumstances?
• The name “Jane” resonates in various ways throughout the novel. Why do you think Marshall titled the work as she did, with an emphasis on the search for “Jane”—whoever or whatever Jane might be?

5. Creative Engagement

Encourage imaginative and creative connections to the book.

• If you were casting a film adaptation of this novel, who would you cast in the lead roles? How would you handle the novel’s nonlinear structure?
• At the end of the novel, Angela is pregnant with twins. If you were writing a sequel to the novel centered on those twins, what would their story look like? 

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