DRB Reviews...

Liberty Street by Heather Marshall

DRB Reviews...Liberty Street by Heather Marshall

​Rating:  5/5 stars "Epic"

"Inspired by real-life history and the infamous Andrew Mercer Reformatory in Liberty Village, the novel sheds light on a dark period in Canadian justice."

This book has left me speechless. It was an incredibly epic tale, inspired by true events from the Mercer Women's Prison in Toronto. I was captivated through-out and could not put it down. This book has reminded me of why I read...for an incredible story just like this. When I closed Liberty Street, I had the same reminiscent feelings of closing Gone With the Wind for the first time. Gripping. The abuse of the rights of women hit me hard in the chest, yet reminded me just how far we have come.  The Toronto settings drew me in and made this story feel like home, being a Canadian who grew up just outside of Toronto. 

"In 1961, an ambitious Chatelaine editorial assistant goes undercover at Toronto’s notorious Mercer Women’s Prison to expose horrific abuses. Decades later, a 1996 detective investigating unidentified remains must confront her own family trauma." Marshall's story was a true expose of The Female Refuges Act which came into effect in Ontario in 1927. In the mid 1960's a grand jury investigated and uncovered the deplorable conditions of the place. The Act was finally repealed in 1964. Marshall builds her characters after true female victims of the era which makes this story so much more compelling. 

I don't want to give away any spoilers in my review. My only advice is if you are a woman, especially a Canadian woman living in Toronto, this is a must read. I haven't read a historical fiction novel that I have loved as dearly as this book. Thank you to Marshall for her detailed research and for being an "incorrigible feminist" and bringing the stories of these women to light.

I bought this book at Indigo in celebration for Canada day. It was labelled a "staff pick"; after reading it, I understand why!

Brava Liberty Street...this book is now in my #1 spot of 2026!

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