It has been well over a year since I participated in First Line Friday, but I thought it was time to start up again. First Lines Fridays is a weekly feature for book lovers hosted by Reading Is My SuperPower.
What if instead of judging a book by its cover, its author or its prestige, we judged it by its opening lines?
- Pick a book off your shelf (it could be your current read or on your TBR) and open to the first page
- Copy the first few lines, but don’t give anything else about the book away just yet – you need to hook the reader first
- Finally… reveal the book!
My first line comes from a book I just started and am enjoying.
It was a perfectly ordinary day when a truly extraordinary letter was delivered to the wrong mailbox.
It is Historical Fiction dealing with an issue that is still present today
This “powerful debut” (Hello! Canada) for fans of Kristin Hannah and Jennifer Chiaverini.
Written by Heather Marshall about three women whose lives are bound together by a long-lost letter, a mother’s love, and a secret network of women fighting for the right to choose—inspired by true stories.
First Line Friday Book is ……..
About the Book: Tell them you’re looking for Jane.
2016:
When Angela Creighton discovers a mysterious letter containing a life-shattering confession in a stack of forgotten mail, she is determined to find the intended recipient. Her search takes her back to the 1970s when a group of daring women operated an illegal underground abortion network in Toronto known only by its whispered code name: Jane…
1971:
As a teenager, Dr. Evelyn Taylor was sent to a home for “fallen” women where she was forced to give up her baby for adoption—a trauma she has never recovered from. Despite harrowing police raids and the constant threat of arrest, she joins the Jane Network as an abortion provider, determined to give other women the choice she never had.
After discovering a shocking secret about her family history, twenty-year-old Nancy Mitchell begins to question everything she has ever known. When she unexpectedly becomes pregnant, she feels like she has no one to turn to for help. Grappling with her decision, she locates “Jane” and finds a place of her own alongside Dr. Taylor within the network’s ranks, but she can never escape the lies that haunt her.
Weaving together the lives of three women, Looking for Jane is an unforgettable debut about the devastating consequences that come from a lack of choice—and the enduring power of a mother’s love.
Available Now: Published March 1st 2022 by Simon & Schuster Canada
Does this book sound like one you would be interested in?
What are you reading now? Do you have an interesting first line to share?
November 10, 2022 at 12:11 pm
A great example of a hook line.
A new and intriguing way to present a book.
LikeLiked by 1 person
November 10, 2022 at 12:35 pm
I remember my teachers telling me to hook my reader with my first line when I wrote a story, but I was not very good at that.
LikeLiked by 1 person
November 12, 2022 at 12:49 pm
I feel like sometimes authors focus on the first line too much and forget about the need for a hook for the rest of the chapter. I like to start with a good scene. But should probably think about the first line, too. It just ALL needs to be great. Doesn’t it?
LikeLiked by 1 person
November 12, 2022 at 12:58 pm
I agree, a good first line can’t stand alone, but it is a good way to grab a reader. I could never be an author.
LikeLiked by 1 person
November 5, 2022 at 9:09 pm
What a fun way to start a book review Carla!
LikeLiked by 2 people
November 6, 2022 at 6:29 am
I like that idea, Diane. I am going to try it for my next full review. Thanks.
LikeLike
November 5, 2022 at 1:45 pm
I am not familiar with this book, but that is a great first line. Made me curious
LikeLiked by 1 person
November 5, 2022 at 7:18 pm
It is a great story, based on actual events always makes it more interesting to me.
LikeLiked by 1 person
November 5, 2022 at 12:40 pm
That first line is great! I’d totally pick this one up. 😀 Happy reading!
LikeLiked by 1 person
November 5, 2022 at 7:11 pm
It definitely drew me in. Glad it did the same for you Lark.
LikeLike
November 5, 2022 at 8:29 am
Great first lines! This sounds really interesting 🙂
LikeLiked by 1 person
November 5, 2022 at 9:28 am
It was quite interesting, Dian, and the author’s notes were very enlightening.
LikeLike
November 4, 2022 at 11:47 pm
That is a great first line. I think this book sounds really interesting.
LikeLiked by 1 person
November 5, 2022 at 9:27 am
It was really good Wendy. I finished listening to it on my drive yesterday.
LikeLike
November 4, 2022 at 3:38 pm
Hmm. I find it puzzling that someone who was traumatized by giving up her baby would want to help others abort theirs. I would think that would be just as traumatizing if not more so. I am perhaps biased because my talented and intelligent son-in-law would not exist if his teenage mother had not given birth to him, nor would I have been blessed with my two gorgeous and sweet granddaughters. I am of the the philosophy that “it’s not a choice, it’s a child.” I realize this is a divisive issue in our two countries, and I pray for those who find themselves faced with a difficult decision.
LikeLiked by 1 person
November 4, 2022 at 5:20 pm
I don’t think I could ever have had an abortion either, Linda. I do agree that there are times it is necessary for the health of the mother or in cases of rape and incest. It is not a form of birth control.
LikeLiked by 1 person
November 4, 2022 at 10:56 am
Awesome first line Carla! I want to know what is up with the letter! Off to see where I can find this one!🤗📚💜
LikeLiked by 1 person
November 4, 2022 at 12:54 pm
It is a backlist book from NG, but it is also available at my library.
LikeLiked by 1 person
November 4, 2022 at 10:33 am
I really enjoyed this novel Carla and hope you do too.
LikeLiked by 1 person
November 4, 2022 at 12:56 pm
I am really liking it, Lynne. Very timely once again with all that is going on right now.
LikeLiked by 1 person
November 4, 2022 at 8:49 am
This does sounds like an interesting book with an intriguing first line. Thanks for sharing about it Carla!
LikeLiked by 1 person
November 4, 2022 at 12:56 pm
It is very timely based on what is happening in the US right now. I like that this story is set in Canada.
LikeLike
November 4, 2022 at 7:32 am
Glad you’re back to doing this. I think I’ll do one too.
LikeLiked by 1 person
November 4, 2022 at 7:41 am
Thanks Rae. I have been away and not posting much, but this was an easy one to put together. I am off shortly for my final leg to my daughter’s place. I will watch for your post.
LikeLiked by 2 people