Publisher: Random House, Ballantine Books

Publication Date: February 24, 2026

Length: 445 pages

I received the book from the publisher to review.

There are a few spoilers here…because I can’t adequately discuss this book otherwise. For a spoiler-free review, see my GoodReads review.

Based on true events, Liberty Street is the story of a young, ambitious reporter, Emily Radcliffe, as she investigates conditions at Mercer Women’s Prison. Emily is a young lady in the late 1950’s and early 1960’s with career ambitions. She senses her boyfriend will soon propose, and knows that he is not open-minded enough to consider her being a working wife. In her job at a woman’s magazine, she wants to garner approval and looks for an opportunity to write an investigative article. Her opportunity arrives when a tip comes in to her job stating that the local women’s prison is abusing the incarcerated women. Emily sees this as her big chance. After visiting the prison and being turned away, she tries to question the guards or released prisoners. This is a side of society that Emily never knew existed. She uncovers a Canadian law that permitted women to be incarcerated if declared “incorrigible” by a judge. Emily decides the only way to get the story is to go undercover. With her editor’s approval, Emily is sentenced to 6 months at Mercer after her father makes a false complaint.

Emily is naive. The conditions at Mercer were unlike anything she had imagined. Clothes, food, bedding, and living conditions are deplorable. Upon admittance, each woman is to have a “routine” gynecology exam to ascertain whether or not they have a STD. Emily has never had a gynecology exam. Will she be able to endure this treatment? As she begins befriending other women at Mercer, she hears their stories. She finds herself questioning how women could receive justice from a system designed and run by men. It is difficult to understand that she has been protected from this side of life by her middle-class upbringing. As the date of her release approaches, Emily makes a terrible mistake. Will she be released?

Liberty Street uses Mercer prison to illustrate the deplorable manner of treatment for lower-class women. Emily’s naivete mirrors that of general society. When the law about incorrigible women is brought to the attention of Emily’s editor and fellow authors, all are shocked. A misguided attempt to help “reform” women damaged so many lives. Emily’s dedication to understanding the reasons for incarceration is admirable. She is young, and her lack of knowledge nearly leads to her downfall. As I read the book, I feared that Emily could be the body found in the unmarked grave. The tension mounts with each chapter. I felt anxiety over whether Emily’s identity would be discovered. I couldn’t imagine what horrible treatment she might be subjected to if she were revealed. I thoroughly enjoyed every bit of this book. The characters and situations were so well described. I would recommend that readers take the time to read the author’s remarks following the conclusion of the book; they are very interesting and informative.

This book would be perfect to read as part of a book club or a women’s studies group. I highly recommend it to all fiction readers. Thank you, Megan Whalen, Random House Publishing, Heather Marshall, and NetGalley for the early reader edition.

My rating: 🌻🌻🌻🌻🌻/5