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LIBERTY STREET
Heather Marshall
Penguin Random House Canada
February 24, 2026
445 pages
I love to read historical novels based on fact. It gives me a chance to learn something. This book certainly fits that description.
Firstly, I love that it takes place in Ontario, Canada. Familiarity draws me in right away.
The setting is the notorious Mercer Women’s Prison in Toronto. A reporter, Emily, from Chatelaine (a women’s magazine in Canada) gets wind of the fact that women are being cruelly mistreated and terrible things are happening. She arranges to infiltrate the prison to get first-hand information to expose the horrors.
Emily is a very strong woman, mentally and emotionally. She follows rules but is not afraid to defend that which needs defending. Or, to question what needs to be questioned.
For the most part, this is not an uplifting story. For some, it may be triggering. The subjects touched upon include mental illness, postpartum depression, prostitution, abuse and more.
There is a dual timeline, which takes a while to figure out the relevance. It all comes together when it should.
Well written, well developed. The author did a ton of research. The subject matter must have weighed on her mind 24 hours a day. Heather Marshall is a champion for historically hard-won women’s rights. She also did this in her previous book, Looking for Jane.
I could not put this book down. I would give it ten stars if I could.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the Advance Readers Copy.
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