Books & Audiobooks
Heather Marshall’s newest release, Liberty Street is a novel that will educate you about the past, make you emotional, and confront horrific truths as it pulls you into the lives of characters who will remain with you long after the last page is turned.
The story is told in two timelines, one in rural Huron County in the 1990’s where Detective Rachel MacKenzie is investigating a body found in an unmarked grave. The other is set in 1960’s Toronto where publishing assistant Emily Radcliffe goes undercover (a la Nelly Bly) in Mercer Women’s Prison after learning about the Female Refuges Act. This legislation permitted women to be imprisoned and sent to live in squalid conditions where they endured abuse, malnourishment and more, for simply being deemed “incorrigible” by their families.
There’s a lot of Canadiana in this book including the lakeside setting of Bayfield, Ontario; recognizable Toronto locations, including the Liberty Village neighbourhood where the prison once was situated; and the iconic Chatelaine magazine where Emily worked. But this story is far from a glowing review of Canada’s past, and I applaud the author for continuing to advocate for women’s rights by highlighting systemic injustices against women and shining a bright light on a dark part of Canadian history that no one is talking about.
This is a well-researched and eye-opening story about resilience that showcases inspiring women (a couple of whom are pulled right from history) who battled against the status quo as they advocated for basic human rights for women. It will teach and entertain you in equal measure, leave you with much food for thought and respect for the women who fought (and continue to fight) for women’s rights.