Thank you to Genevieve Graham for introducing me to some Canadian history that I knew nothing about. This hit close to home for me. I had heard of course about the war with Germany and of the attack at Pearl Harbour by the Japanese. I did not know about what had happened during the depression in Toronto, against Jewish citizins, or the riot that took place at Christie Pits in Toronto in 1933. Canadian military sent to Hong Kong, to keep watch. This is a part of Canadian history that needs to be told. Men lost their lives there in the Battle of Hong Kong, and the ones who survived, were sent to a fate worse than death. Japanese camps were horrific.and the prisoners were starved and mistreated. Their stories need to be told and never forgotten. War with Germany and Japan, our Canadian military suffered many casualities of war. Some with death, and some in their minds and spirits, as well as loss of limbs. Weaving this history into the two families at the forefront of this book, was brilliant. Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for sending me this story. I loved this book. 5 out of 5.

I am always blown away by how real Genevieve Graham's novels are. It's obvious the author does a ton of research! Her characters could be any one of us and their struggles become our own while we read. This book is no exception. Having spent some formative years in Toronto, I recognized a few locations, but I sure didn't know the history! I learned so much while reading, and once again came away from this book with a new sense of respect for those that came before us, but also respect for the history that we, as Canadians, don't hear about in school. The additional material at the back of the book added another layer entirely. I'm convinced that if the author ever gives up writing (please don't!), she could easily become a history professor. She is one of the people I would love to sit and talk to, if we could host a dinner party of notable people. She, her worlds and the people that live there, fascinate me.

I was extremely lucky to have been granted an ARC of this novel, for which I thank NetGalley and the publisher, and thank the author for once again teaching me something while she turned my world upside down.

As a social historian of Canada who works on this period, I am impressed by the breadth of research that the author has brought to her story. The characters are, of course, fictional, but the 1930s Toronto setting is carefully sketched in, and very true to what we know about the city during the Great Depression, particularly its working-class downtown neighbourhoods with their particular ethnic enclaves. The Depression context is imaginatively rendered. There is close attention to how gender, age, race and culture defined identity and identified belonging--and increasingly, in the case of Jewish Canadians, defined the terms of their exclusion. We see the growing injustices to the city's Jewish community, coloured by the rise of European fascism. The riot in Christie Park is very sensitively captured. Historians are obliged to base their work on historical evidence, which is not to say that imagination is unnecessary, as details are selected and context is filled in. But historical fiction writers are free to imagine how people in a particular time and place lived, perceived, felt what was happening. Graham does an excellent job in melding historical fact with that kind of imagination.

Another wonderful historical fiction novel, based on Canadian history, by Genevieve Graham.
The author weaves fact and fiction into this captivating story which focuses on anti-semitism in Toronto and Canada's role in the Battle of Hong Kong during WWII.
The story follows Molly and Max, two young adults who have been neighbours for many years in Toronto during the Great Depression. Over the years their bond of friendship turned to love. Molly is a Protestant journalist and Max is a Jewish doctor in training when he enlists and goes to war with Molly's brothers.
The author's research into what the soldiers endured, as well as the their families at home, was exceptional and is finally told.
This is a story of love, loss, hate, tolerance, bravery, courage, hope and humanity.
Author Genevieve Graham has stated "My goal, my passion, is to breathe life back into Canadian history!" With Letters Across The Sea she did just that!
A Must Read!

Thank you to NetGalley and Simon & Schuster Canada for an arc of this novel in exchange for my honest review.

Definitely a book for my book club as it provides many avenues for discussion. I was intrigued by both the title and description. I did not know about the Christie Pits riot but was aware of adversity experienced by the Jewish people during these times. I was impressed with the way Graham wove history into her book through her characters.. I valued the author's account of the events at the end of the book and suggestions for further investigation. Graham writes with sensitivity but leaves the reader with information not widely known. Having read The Forgotten Home Child i just knew I would enjoy the story but, more importantly learn more about our past.

Letters Across the Sea by Genevieve Graham

Thank you to NetGalley and Simon & Schuster Canada for an e-ARC for an honest review.

Before reading this book, I wasn't aware of the anti-Jewish sentiment in 'Toronto the Good', the Christie Pits Riot or the Canadian soldiers being imprisoned by the Japanese in Hong Kong during WWII.

With well-developed characters and settings, I felt like I was witnessing the events firsthand.I love how she weaves little known historical facts into their story. I didn't want the story to end!

Thank you to Genevieve Graham for another great read! She is a master of Canadian Historical Fiction.

For a relatively young country, Canada has a rich history. And one that is full of events and people that are hardly talked about. Genevieve Graham is exposing these little known moments one novel at a time. She has a gift for taking a point in time and creating an incredibly compelling tale that will allow readers to get lost in a story while learning about our country's history. Letters Across the Sea was an eyeopening read full of characters I fell in love with.

Here's the book's description:
If you’re reading this letter, that means I’m dead. I had obviously hoped to see you again, to explain in person, but fate had other plans.
1933
At eighteen years old, Molly Ryan dreams of becoming a journalist, but instead she spends her days working any job she can to help her family through the Depression crippling her city. The one bright spot in her life is watching baseball with her best friend, Hannah Dreyfus, and sneaking glances at Hannah’s handsome older brother, Max.
But as the summer unfolds, more and more of Hitler’s hateful ideas cross the sea and “Swastika Clubs” and “No Jews Allowed” signs spring up around Toronto, a city already simmering with mass unemployment, protests, and unrest. When tensions between the Irish and Jewish communities erupt in a riot one smouldering day in August, Molly and Max are caught in the middle, with devastating consequences for both their families.
1939
Six years later, the Depression has eased and Molly is a reporter at her local paper. But a new war is on the horizon, putting everyone she cares about most in peril. As letters trickle in from overseas, Molly is forced to confront what happened all those years ago, but is it too late to make things right?
The research a historical fiction author has to embark on is incredibly interesting to me (are you surprised? I adore the genre and spent the last year working for a community museum. I like me some history.). I've heard a number of authors say they started with one idea and, through their research, was able to bring in something completely different that enriched the final story. As Graham explains in the author's note, she originally wanted to focus on the Christie Pits Riot and then have Max sent to fight in Dieppe. She changed her mind when she learned about the Canadian soldiers who fought in Hong Kong. I don't know about you, but I knew nothing about those battles and I'm really glad people like Graham and others are working to make sure those men are not forgotten.

It was particularly poignant to read about the riot and unrest as we're still reading about racist behaviour and hate crimes occurring in Toronto and elsewhere. I couldn't help but see the parallels between what was happening in 1933 and what's happening now - almost ninety years later. We think we've come so far but some white people are acting just as irrationally now as they did then. The Jewish people are as to blame for WWII as those of Asian descent are for COVID-19. As in, they're absolutely not to blame. I hadn't known much, if anything, about the Christie Pits Riot and I worried for everyone while also being sickened that so much violence was erupting because someone decided their beliefs were better than someone else's.




I liked that Molly was interested in journalism and was eventually able to work at a newspaper. Being a reporter is a really important job (I should know - I live with one) and there are so many out there who are doing their damnedest to make sure the truth is being reported. Yes, some media outlets report with a clear bias (as Graham discusses really well in her novel - the discussion about how the Jewish papers were talking about what was happening to their people in Germany well before other papers were was sobering) but far too often I hear every news outlet from every medium get tarred with the same brush. Hearing that it's "the media's" fault for, well, it seems like everything sometimes. You have to think critically, read past the headline, and take in the whole story to get the full picture. That full picture will tell the truth. And, yes, you should be paying for your news. Subscribe to your local paper. Support journalism. Know the difference between an opinion piece and a news article. I don't want to know a world where everything we hear about is determined by corporations and their ad dollars instead of reporters hard at work, chasing the real and important stories.

Well. That got a bit soapbox-y and off track. Back to the book!

As I've established, Graham is a master at writing about Canada's history in a way that engages, interests, and educates the reader. She is also so, so good at writing characters that seem so real that it's a surprise when they don't leap off the page or when you remember you're reading a book, not talking to a real person. Both Molly and Max had chapters told from their points of view (Molly was first person and Max was third...I'm not totally sure why there was a distinction and sometimes it was a bit jarring to change perspectives like that) so you were able to really feel what they were each feeling during the story. How each family was reacting to the possibility of Max and Molly having feelings for each other. How the riots affected them all. How they dealt with the many, many horrors of war. Through the eyes of these wonderful characters, we learn what it was like for women and families left behind in Canada during the war and how men fighting a battle they never should have had to fight were captured and, ultimately, forgotten about.

Letters Across the Sea is another winner from Genevieve Graham. Her latest novel will educate you on our country's past and make you take a hard look at what else you can be doing in our present to protect our future. You'll grieve for characters and you'll feel hopeful about the changes that are to come. Read this book and read the author's note at the end. Educate yourself even further than Graham's (most excellent) novel. And, above all, enjoy this wonderful story.

*An egalley of this novel was provided by the publisher, Simon & Schuster Canada, via NetGalley in exchange for review consideration. A physical ARC was also provided by the author herself. All opinions are honest and my own.*

Another fantastic book by Graham. As a historical fiction lover I’ve read a lot of books based around WWII that showcase strong women and this book was no exception. Molly Ryan dreams of becoming a journalist during the 1930s and bringing light and truth to the world through her work. Molly is living in Toronto – far away from the war, yet the war isn’t as far away as one would think. As the ideas of Hitler begin to find themselves around the globe things begin to grow tense between long time friends and neighbors. Molly and her Jewish neighbor Max have been friend for a long time and a romance is budding, which is not ok in the eyes of many. Max ends up going to war along with all of Molly’s brothers – leaving Molly behind to find her way in the world of journalism. Heartbreak and hardship abound in this one, but love and forgiveness ultimately rise to the top of this beautiful story. I've totally become a fan of Graham's writing over the past few years and this was no exception. I can't wait for her next book!

If you like historical fiction then here is another book you can to your list.

I just finished reading this book and really enjoyed reading a story based in Toronto that involved the riot at Christie Pits. i had heard about it growing up and was made aware of the anti-semitism my family faced in the city. So I was very motivated to read a book so I could gain more of an understanding.

I enjoyed reading about the relationship that developed between the Dreyfus family and the Ryans.

There was so much interesting information based on historical research done by the author.

I also appreciated learning about the Canadians that were stationed in Hong Kong and what happened to them. It was first tine I had heard any of this. The details at the end of the book were really helpful.

4.5 stars
Genevieve Graham is a gem of an author, with a gift for bringing the Canadian experience to world history.
Thank you to Netgalley and Simon & Schuster Canada for my eARC for review.
Spanning from Depression-era 1933 Toronto, to post-war 1945, the story is told between the characters of childhood neighbours Molly Ryan and Max Dreyfus.
Despite their love for one another, Molly and Max are kept apart due to the tensions between their Irish Protestant and Jewish families, respectively.
Illustrated through these characters and their siblings, we are taken through the role Canadians played in the war; those who did not return, and those who returned but beyond changed.
I especially enjoyed the element of Molly becoming a journalist, providing a unique storytelling device and strong female characterization.
This is only my second Genevieve Graham novel but I'll absolutely be working my way through her backlist (Tides Of Honour is on my TBR cart). While technically fictional stories, hers are so well researched and based in actual events that make for essential reading. Recommended!
Released on April 27.

Letters across sea

This is a story of world war 2 and the impact on the Jewish community in Toronto. A piece of Canadian history that is not well known brought to life in a fictional book. Before reading this book I had no clue about swastika clubs here in Canada.
When you think of ww2 most people think of Hitler and Germany but this book is about the battles in Hong Kong and what our Canadian Soldiers faced there.

Max and Molly are the story center- the book flips back and forth between their characters and what is happening through their eyes.

Molly comes from a family struggling to get by in a time of depression. Not sure what food will be on the table if any.
Max from a Jewish family who own and run a factory. While things are tight there is always food on the table and new clothes and shoes when needed.

Things change as Hilter comes into power and Molly’s eyes are opened to the discrimination and hatred toward her friends. She knows it isn’t right and tries to stand and fight against it but her own family she learns is part of the problem.

The riot at Christie pits separates these two young loves before they even have a chance to try.

Max goes to war and Molly finds a way to fight the discrimination by becoming a reporter for the Toronto star and telling the stories of Toronto’s immigrants and veterans.

There’s so much to say about this story but I don’t want to take one word or minute away from someone else experiencing it for themselves!
Genevieve Graham has a way of bringing history to life and I am always so intrigued to learn these untold historical truths about the country; province and city I live in!

I could not flip the pages in this book quickly enough & the story was captivating, authentic, beautiful, heart-wrenching, and so raw. It is incredible to be a Canadian learning about an event in Canadian history that I'd never heard of AT ALL and I appreciate this so much about Genevieve's work. 
In Letters Across the Sea, we meet two families & a myriad of friends living in Toronto during the depression prior to Canada's involvement in WWII. Molly's family (Protestant) lives across the street from Max & Hannah's family (Jewish). There are undertones of Hitler's venom entering Toronto & the families end up divided after a hateful public event, much to Max and Molly's dismay (and Hannah's as well). Fast forward several years and some of them are tangled up overseas in the war with devastating consequences. Molly becomes a journalist & tells incredible stories about veterans returning to Canada. The story is so captivating but also so painful because the reader begins to love and relate to these characters so much. I would recommend this book without a doubt to historical fiction fans. I absolutely loved it. 
I'm a broken record because I said this after The Forgotten Home Child too, but I desperately need to go back and read this author's backlist! ASAP!! Five stars from this proud Nova Scotian for a local author who writes amazing historical fiction. I'm lucky to have friends who have read her entire backlist and have steered me into my next read by Genevieve SOON!!!

Thank you Netgalley, Simon & Schuster Canada and Genevieve Graham.
Heart wrenching historical fiction which grips you from the very first page.
I felt part of the characters lives and every time I put this book down I could not wait to pick it up again.
Beautifully written! Well researched. Loved the characters.
Every time I pick up Genevieve Graham books I learn a different part of our Canadian history.
She is one of my go to authors and I absolutely love her books.
Congratulations Ms. Graham on another hit and please continue writing I am a big fan of yours.
Highly recommend
5 stars

Another well-written historical fiction book that sheds light on a little known aspect of Canada's past. The story follows Molly, a Protestant girl and Max, a Jewish boy, two childhood friends living in Toronto whose friendship comes to an abrupt end when anti-Semitism in the city ramps up during the summer of 1933 with the Christie Pits riot. When Canada enters WWII, Max and Molly's brothers enlist and get sent all across Europe and the Pacific. Max ends up a POW in Japan and Molly carves a career for herself working as a journalist at the Toronto Star. One of the best fiction books I've read about what life in Canada was like during WWII and especially what the POWs endured in Japan. HIGHLY, highly recommend for historical fiction lovers, especially anyone who enjoyed Our darkest night by Jennifer Robson (another WWII story about an interfaith relationship) or Forgiveness by Mark Sakamoto (a memoir about his grandfather's experience as a POW).

Brilliant and moving historical fiction

This is another brilliant historical novel from Genevieve Graham. At once a love story and historical fiction, this book brings to light what were to me previously unknown parts of the WW2 story, the prejudice against Jews in Toronto, leading to a riot, and the Battle of Hong Kong and resulting prisoners of war, told from the Canadian perspective. I can't recommend this book more highly!

Thank you to the publisher who lent me a time-constrained e-arc via Netgalley with no obligations. This review is optional an my own opinion.

I really enjoyed reading Letters Across The Sea, I used to be intimidated by historical fiction, but have really grown to love it. Graham writes a wonderful story that draws you in and makes it an engaging, interesting and enjoyable experience. The novel also includes a lot of Canadian history, that I found interesting and found myself learning several details of this time that I wasn't aware of. Graham does a beautiful job with developing her characters that you get invested in.

Letters Across The Sea its told from a dual prespective. We follow Molly and Max who are friends that come from vastly different backgrounds. Molly was raised in a very strict Irish protestant household and left her schooling to help support herfamily financially. Max comes from a jewish background who is studying to become a doctor. Max and Molly end up having feelings for eachother but realize how hard it would be to be together during such hard times.

I found it fascinating to see how much the two teenagers lives varied because of their backgrounds during this time.

Powerful, immersive, and unforgettable!

Letters Across the Sea is a pensive, enlightening tale that sweeps you away to Toronto during the 1930s and into the lives of the Irish Ryan family and the Jewish Dreyfus family as they navigate relationships strained by the Great Depression, religious differences, hatred, loss, misunderstandings, forbidden love, tragedy, and the sacrifices and inherent consequences of war.

The prose is evocative and rich. The characters are genuine, kindhearted, and courageous. And the plot, including all the subplots, unravel and intertwine seamlessly into an alluring tale of life, loss, love, family, devastation, hardship, hope, friendship, self-discovery, and ultimately survival.

When it comes to novels involving Canadian history, nobody writes stories like Genevieve Graham. She takes little known or forgotten historical facts, infuses them with humanity, and then edges them all with a love story that is hard to put down, and Letters Across the Sea is no exception. It’s beautifully written, exceptionally memorable, and in parts devastatingly heart-wrenching, and in case it wasn’t obvious already, I absolutely loved it.

Thank you to Netgalley, Simon and Schuster and Genevieve Graham for an advanced copy of this story in exchange for an honest review.

Wow. What an incredible story. This was my first historical fiction set in Canada and I was really curious to see how Canada contributed from home and the reactions to the ridiculousness against Jewish people. I had hoped the prejudice would not have existed here, but it did. We are not a perfect country, nor do we not submit to racial prejudices and white supremacy.

The points of view that we see from are very well done and from different sides of the fight. Graham also includes chapters that explain what happened in areas of the war that I had never heard of. It was raw, real, and after reading her notes at the end, a real part of history! An incredible work of fiction based on Canada (and the worlds) past.

I am actually having a hard time describing how this book made me feel. Sad, informed, disappointed, appalled, disgusted. And of course there were some happy times in there too. It’s a book that invokes deep feelings and thoughts.

I highly recommend you read this one, especially if you are a historical fiction fan!!! I will most definitely be reading more of Graham’s works in the future.

Genevieve Graham quickly became an auto-buy author after I read At the Mountain's Edge in 2019. I truly enjoy her books and learning from their pages. I was delighted when S&S approved my eARC request through NetGalley, but also beyond grateful when Graham herself sent me a physical signed ARC.

Honestly, my thoughts are don't hesitate to read it. But I guess I can build out why. First, you will learn something you didn't know about, and that I truly love. Second, Graham's writing is beautiful and in itself takes you on a journey right to the centre of the story. Third, the characters are real, raw, and relatable. You would love to have a tea with them to get to know them more. Fourth, the story is full of such rich detail. Fifth, the story is fiction, but it is so well researched that every bit of it is believable. Sixth, there is romance, but it is subtle and fits the story so nicely. Seventh, there is something in the story for everyone. Eighth, you won't be able to put it down. Ninth, who doesn't love a Canadian story? Tenth, the author is so genuine and cares a whole lot about her characters.

Have I said enough? I can go on. This book will stick with you for a long time after you turn the last page. You might even want to flip to the beginning and start again because you probably missed something.

This will be a top favourite of the year for me.

Another great historical fiction by Genevieve Graham.The story focuses on anti-Semitism in Toronto and the Battle of Hong Kong during WW2 .The story tells of family relationships,mistakes, forgiveness and love. Even after reading so many WW2 novels recently this book is definitely one of my favorites.
Thanks to Netgalley for an ARC in exchange for my honest review.