What a fabulous book! I've read a few books from Genevieve Graham so far and I'm always impressed. I really love her writing style and find myself unable to put these books down! I've recently gotten more into historical fiction, so if you are a fan of the genre, I would definitely add this one to your list!

This story follows Molly and Max, friends who come from very different backgrounds. Molly was raised in a strict protestant household and had to leave school early to help support her family through the depression. Max was from a Jewish family and studying to become a doctor. They ended up having feelings for each other but knew it would be hard to be together. They soon found themselves in the midst of horrible times as the war was breaking out and they were forced apart, not only by what was happening but by their backgrounds.

I love how Genevieve includes so much Canadian history. There are so many details in her books that I find fascinating and one of my favourite things about her writing. I'm always shocked at the lesser known details that I learn about my own countries history. In this book I learned a lot about Canada's involvement in the war.

This book was about love, but also the bonds of friendship and family and how despite our differences, we stick together through hard times. I loved this book and I hope you do too!

Graham is a successful Toronto author of many historical fiction novels, her last one being "The Forgotten Home Child". This new release is set in downtown Toronto starting in 1933. We meet Molly, who at 18 is doing her best to help her family survive the depression. She has reluctantly given up her schooling to get a job at the local grocery store. Molly's best friend is Hannah who is Jewish and she has a crush on Hannah's older brother Max. The story is inspired by actual events, such as the Christie Pits riot, where six hours of fighting occurred after members of 'Swastika Clubs' unfurled a large blanket with a swastika painted on it. This occurred during a time when some stores in Toronto would not hire Jewish people and the University of Toronto had quota to limit Jewish enrolment. Eventually Molly is able to follow her passions and become a reporter in the city during WWII. Max's story is inspired by the actual Canadians who were part of the battle of Hong Kong and the brutal Japanese POW camps. This is a wonderful recommendation for fans of the genre and anyone who wants to learn more about this period of Canadian history. I really enjoyed it as it was both entertaining and educational.

I had no idea Graham was a Canadian author before I started reading. Although I have read a lot of WWII fiction, I have never read a book that included the battle of Hong Kong and Japanese POW camps, and I am glad to have learned so much about his aspect of Canadian history. This book is also a stark reminder that anti-semitism didn’t (and doesn’t) exist only in Europe- this book demonstrates how prominent the mistreatment was of Jewish people in Canada too.
The love story interlaced with the history was fantastic as well and kept me so invested I couldn’t put this book down! I highly recommend it this book to anyone who generally enjoys historical fiction.

The author’s note included at the end detailed the real life events referenced in the novel, which was a lovely bonus.

Letters Across the Sea was a wonderful telling of Canadian involvement in WWII, specifically the lives of two families in the Toronto area, starting in the early 1930s; the Dreyfus’, Jewish Canadians, and the Ryan’s, Protestant Irish Canadians. The author highlights the rise in anti-semitism, the Swastika Clubs, Jews being banned from businesses, and the economic downturn in Canada, and how this all changed relationships between friendships and community. This was undeniably a well-researched novel and gives an honest portrayal of Canada being influenced by bias, propaganda and censorship.

Of note, many of us have never been told of our Canadian soldiers in the Battle ofHong Kong, who were unprepared for battle, with no training and resources, then being sent for years to POW camps and the pain and suffering that they endured there. It does shed a light on how our own government has treated our veterans on return home from battle and how we take care of the suffering our veterans endure upon their return, mentally, physically and financially.

I do feel as though I needed a little more backstory from the Dreyfus’. I wanted to get to know them more and connect with them. I felt as though I knew the Ryan’s like my own family, but I was left without feeling the friendship and long history between the two families. I also needed more passion between Max and Molly!

With many thanks to netgalley and Simon & Schuster for the advanced copy, as well as to Genevieve Graham for this wonderful read!

I’ve said it before, but it bears repeating: Genevieve Graham is single-handedly bringing little-known aspects of Canadian history to light - and to life - through her thought-provoking, emotional, heartbreaking, beautiful books. After reading five of Graham’s books, I think it’s safe to say I’ve learned more about Canadian history from her than I ever did in school.

Letters Across the Sea illuminates yet another aspect of Canadian history I knew nothing about. Starting in Toronto, Ontario in the early 1930s, the Great Depression permeates every aspect of daily life. Jobs are hard to come by, people are working hard for little money, and families are going hungry. Add to that the hatred and antisemitism making their way around the globe, in large part thanks to Hitler and the rise of the Nazis, and tensions are running high across the city. People who were once friends and neighbours now have an ‘us versus them’ mentality, and there’s a rise in white supremacist and anti-Jewish hate groups. All of this culminates in the Christie Pits Riot, which tears apart families and friends and changes life as Molly Ryan and Max Dreyfus knew it.

Told in alternating points of view between Molly and Max, we see things through the eyes of a young Protestant woman and her Jewish neighbour and lifelong friend, who’s also the older brother of her best friend. We see the hatred, fear, pain, and confusion experienced from both perspectives, along with the friendship and longing between the two. Nothing is ever the same for Molly, Max, or their families after the riot.

Time passes and life moves on for Molly and Max. The Depression continues, although things slowly improve. When war is declared, Max enlists, along with Molly’s brothers and many of their mutual friends. This leads into another little-known aspect of Canadian history: the Battle of Hong Kong in 1941, and Canadians being held in Japanese POW camps for years under horrendous conditions.

Like Graham’s other books, Letters Across the Sea wasn’t an easy read. It was painful - gut wrenching at times - but it was an incredible story about enduring love, bravery, tenacity, and hope. It was difficult reading about the horrible things people are capable of, and that pain was made sharper by the contrasts to today’s racial and religious tensions and injustices. It was a painful reminder that in many ways, things haven’t changed that much in the last 80-90 years. People were gathering for protests and marches back then the way they are now, and it’s easy to believe something like the Christie Pits Riot could happen today. Books like this are a reminder that we need to do better and there’s still a lot of work to do, despite the tireless work of many.

Graham’s wonderful, realistic characters and skillfully woven plot ensured Letters Across the Sea was yet another unforgettable read.

First of all, thank you NetGalley and Simon and Schuster for allowing me access to this book in exchange for an honest review. Wow, wow, wow! This is a powerful story of events largely unknown to many including myself. It’s also a story of friendship, love, and betrayal.

Molly Ryan dreams I’d being a journalist, but her dreams are dashed by the Great Depression. Struggling to find work after losing her job, Molly must way her need for income to help her family with her morals. In the end, she chooses morals. In all things, Molly chooses compassion, doing the right thing and wonders what happened to humanity.

Molly does have one good thing and that is her love for Max. She doesn’t see that he is Jewish, she sees him for who he is as a person. He is the love of her life. But, he his Jewish and she is Protestant and Hitler’s views had invaded. One night, at a baseball game, a riot occurs and changes everything. Friendships and relationships are destroyed and the course of lives are altered forever. Then World War II starts and further upends everything. Will Max and Molly’s love survive the societal attitudes of the time and the war?

When Molly eventually starts working for a newspaper, she writes compassionate stories about experiences during the war and how returning home is anything but normal. She writes from an empathetic point of view rather than a gossipy one. She highlights the very real struggles of service people returning from war not only for the individual but their families.

You can tell this book was well researched and a great deal of care was taken into the writing of the story. I can’t say I knew of such an anti Jewish movement in Canada or POW camps in Canada or the Christmas atrocities in Hong Kong during WWII. Heck, I’d never heard of the Christie Pits Riot. As I was reading, I found myself wanting to learn more.

Genevieve Graham has become a favourite author whose books are now on my automatic buy list. I highly recommend her books and this one is no exception.

Read if you like: WW2 fiction, forbidden love trope.
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The book follows Molly and Max, wh0o are two young adults in Toronto during the Great Depression. They fall in love but cannot be together because of the prejudices against Max and his family for being Jewish. The book shows the tension and anti-Semitism that was occurring in the 1930s, not just in Nazi Germany but in Canada as well.
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I loved Molly and Max. Molly wants to become a journalist and works hard to support her large family during the Depression. Max works hard to become a doctor, despite the prejudices against him. I also love that the book showed Canadian soldiers experiences in the Pacific front during the Second World War.
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I really enjoy the forbidden love trope, so I wanted to keep reading to see if they would eventually end up together.
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CW: anti-Semitism, death of a loved one, substance abuse and addiction, war and violence.

Thank you S&S and NetGalley for an e-copy in exchange for an honest review.

WOW WOW WOW
Genevieve does it again!
This is my second book by this author and I am left speechless with the amount of research that is put into her work. I am always left saddened that I didn't know this part of Canadian History or missed it in school if it was spoken about.

I loved Max and Molly. *swoon*

What POW went through tore my heart apart. I don't know how man can treat man that way. :(
My great uncle was in a war (I don't even know what one) and I remember as a young kid being told never to ask about it. He never spoke about it either.

I recently visited Christie Pits with another bookstagrammer before reading this book and I felt like I was there. The baseball field and the hill were vivid in my mind, We unfortunately didn't walk around as it was super busy. I want to go back and find this plaque that is mentioned.

One of the things I love about reading a Genevieve Graham book is that her love of history shines through, especially when it deals with Canadian history. She was raised in Toronto and chose to bring to life some unflattering pieces of its past. I knew nothing of Christie Pit and the anti Semitic behaviour during the Great Depression was just so sad to read about.

Most WW2 books don't talk much about the involvement of Canadian troops but here I learned about the Battle of Hong Kong and it wasn't a pretty picture. How is that not taught in Canadian schools?

With two time periods we watch Molly Ryan grow up during tumultuous times, especially as friends and family take a stand, sadly at times against each other. As war breaks out there are parts of Canada's involvement that I learned about - it's great that Molly is a journalist.

Letters Across the Sea is a well researched and written story, it's emotional, the characters are genuine and the plot kept my attention. There is heartache and guilt but a midst that is also kindness and compassion. Definitely an author and book I highly recommend.

My thanks to Simon & Schuster Ca (via Netgalley) for a digital arc in exchange for a honest review.

Thanks to Netgalley and Simon&Schuster Canada for an egalley in exchange for an honest review.

I try to read and discuss as many Canadian authors as possible in any year, Genevieve Graham is one of my absolute favourites and is definitely in my top 5 must-have on my bookshelf immediately. I recommend her books to everyone.

Letters Across the Sea is the Canadian historical fiction that we all need to read this year. Graham's latest novel begins in the city of Toronto and the Christie Pit riots to WWII and the often forgotten Battle of Hong Kong, POW camps and the men that returned from the wars in Europe and the Pacific. It is also at its heart a love story between Irish Protestant Molly Ryan and her Jewish neighbour Max Dreyfus.

As I stated, this is THE Canadian history we need to read because we certainly didn't learn about it in school. It always amazes me just how much history that GG packs into each novel and makes us feel so present in the setting. A word of caution, you will lose sleep because once you start reading you will fall in love with the characters and travel back in time.

In addition, there's a detailed author's note, maps, reading guide questions and a list of further resources.

Expected publication 27/04/21

Goodreads review published 10/04/21

* Also reviewed on Instagram and Facebook

#netgalley #simonandshuster #canadianliterature #erinrossreads2021 #goodreads #readersofinstagram #teachersandbooks

This is the fourth books I’ve read by Genevieve Graham and it was just as amazing as the other three. She has become one of my favourite Canadian authors, along with Margaret Atwood and Kelley Armstrong. I’m grateful to Netgalley and Simon & Schuster for their ARC as it allowed me to read it early, instead of waiting till the end of April.

I loved the plot as it explored an area of Canada that is usually brushed over in Canadian History (as a Canadian I can attest to this). The novel takes place in the 1930s to the end of 1940s and follows two families that have been friends for decades. They have different beliefs and family issues which cause problems during the 30s with mounting social tensions (anti-Semitic beliefs prevelant) and the depression. The families are finally forced into a standoff during the Christine Pits Riots which destroyed their friendship.

The novel also takes place during WWII when sons from both families join. There they learn to put their old anemosities aside. However, combat changes them and after they are sent to Hong Kong to protect the island against the Japanese they realize how ill-prepared the army left them. The novel touches on the horrific conditions in Japanese concentration camps and I was left in tears.

The novel ends with a final reunion as Molly, Max and her surviving brothers all come together to heal.

The characters were amazing and beautifully written. My heart really went out with Max and Molly and I wanted their relationship to survive no matter what. Mollys parents betrayal cut deep but the reader could sympathize and understand why it occurred. The deaths of Molly’s brothers really hit me and I was left in tears.

Another thing I really loved about the novel was that although it was a historical fiction during WWII it didn’t dwell on the fighting as much. Instead it was more character based which allowed the reader to fall in love with each one and sympathize with them.

Overall an amazing novel and I would strongly suggest [book:The Forgotten Home Child|52901474] by Genevieve Graham as it was another of my favourite novels and it touches on a topic Canada likes to ignore, our appalling treatment of orphans during the late 19th and early 20th century.

Publication date: April 27, 2021
This is what reading is all about. This lovely book about a piece of Canadian WWII history I knew nothing about. What I love about Ms. Graham's novels is she reveals history as it relates to Canada, the good AND the bad. Starting in 1933 and ending in 1945, we're told of the effects of the great depression, the rise of anti-Semitism, the Christie Pits Riot, the bias and censorship of the media. Seems like nothing much has changed right? Families and friends turned against each other because they had differing opinions, listening to biased news from different newspapers with their own agenda.
What makes this all the more interesting is that while the story is based in Toronto we're also exposed to the horrors our servicemen experienced being ill-prepared for battle both in training and weapons and then as POW's in Japanese camps after the failed Battle of Hong Kong. We learn that neither the Japanese or German camps adhered to the Geneva convention (I urge you to look it up) and you'd see how that wasn't right, I mean nothing is right about war but their actions were barbaric and should not have happened. (do not read this book while eating). Servicemen returned with so many issues not the least of which was disfigurement, and what we now know as PTSD. The common response in returning vets was guilt, guilt they had survived and their friends had not.
The main character Molly is an aspiring journalist, a young woman of integrity, strong character and fierce loyalty. Molly, a Protestant loves the boy next door Max, who is Jewish so we have a kind of Romeo & Juliet story but with a lot more going on as it relates to the prejudices and mindsets of war time. This was an excellent read, the research to put together this novel is outstanding and it started with just finding out a tiny piece of history and building on it. Ms. Graham's "A Note to Readers" is essential reading to understand the research, time and scope that went into writing this book. The map and the Reading Group Guide also provided more depth to the book.
While the title suggests that we'll be reading a lot of letters, we don't see many and nothing is lost because of it. There's one final letter towards the end of the book that explains something that happened early on but there's no series of ongoing letters.
Sincere thank you to Simon & Schuster Canada and NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Letters Across the Sea follows Molly and Max over the course of 12 years, starting during the Depression to the end of WW2, and everything in between. Molly, her parents, and 4 brothers are all Protestants and all have to work hard to provide food for each other. Max, his parents, and his sister (also Molly's best friend) are Jewish and lucky enough to have a well paying business to support them. But as all of the young men go to fight in the war, all of the lives are changed as they're scattered across Europe and Asia.

Could this be perhaps one of my favourite books of the year so far? I think so! This was a really great story with some Romeo and Juliet feelings to it. I really loved learning about some parts in history that I haven't really heard much about, especially in historical fiction novels. I found that there was a really balanced amount of history and fiction that made the story both interesting, entertaining, and enjoyable. I loved Graham's writing style and found she did a great job at creating two different POVs.

There is a lot of heartbreak and emotions tied up in this novel. A lot of the horrors of war are discussed and it is very clear that Graham did her research about the historical events seen in the novel but also the emotional aspects of losing someone. I was able to feel the emotions of the characters and grieved alongside them for what they were feeling. It shows various outcomes of what the war can make people feel and act like which I found to be very important.

I have seen in some reviews that people were disappointed that the mention of letters in the title lead them to believe that it was an epistolary novel, keep in mind that it is not. There are only a few letters at play in the story so just keep this in mind, however for me, I did not mind or find any issue with it. There were certain points where the story was a little predictable but it didn't take away too much of the overall enjoyment for me.

Overall, loved this book! I will now definitely be looking into buying all of her other novels because I am hooked!

| ..𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐠𝐨𝐨𝐝𝐧𝐞𝐬𝐬 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐧 𝐮𝐬 𝐰𝐚𝐬 𝐨𝐧𝐥𝐲 𝐚𝐬 𝐠𝐨𝐨𝐝 𝐚𝐬 𝐡𝐨𝐰 𝐰𝐞 𝐭𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐝 𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐟𝐞𝐥𝐥𝐨𝐰 𝐡𝐮𝐦𝐚𝐧𝐬."⁣
𝘎𝘦𝘯𝘦𝘷𝘪𝘦𝘷𝘦 𝘎𝘳𝘢𝘩𝘢𝘮⁣
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𝘓𝘦𝘵𝘵𝘦𝘳𝘴 𝘈𝘤𝘳𝘰𝘴𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘚𝘦𝘢 // ⁣
☆☆☆☆☆⁣
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She has done it again 👏👏👏⁣
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I ALWAYS learn so much about my Canadian history when I read Genevieve Graham's books & 𝘓𝘦𝘵𝘵𝘦𝘳𝘴 𝘈𝘤𝘳𝘰𝘴𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘚𝘦𝘢 is no different.⁣
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Molly is a powerhouse of a character; I loved her so much, from her loyalty to her friends & family - despite their religion. Her drive & passion to be what she wanted in life - despite what was expected of women from that time.⁣
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I read this through a blurry vision of tears. It was a tough read & knowing these events happened and have been forgotten about is heart breaking. Thank you Genevieve Graham for writing this story.⁣
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This beautiful story will be hitting the shelves April 27 2021!⁣
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Inspired by a true story of a young Protestant girl and her Jewish neighbour, “Letters Across The Sea” sheds light on the wave of hate sweeping the globe on the eve of war.

Paralleling a Romeo and Juliet style romance, Molly Ryan, an Irish Protestant teen and her Jewish neighbour, Max Dreyfus, tell the story through their points of view showing the enduring power of love in the darkest of times.

Focusing on Canadian history from 1933 to 1939, Graham breathes life back into our history. She exposes the racial tension leading to a Toronto riot; depression, anti-Semitism, and food shortages. She then pivots to WW2 with the Pacific Theatre and the Battle of Hong Kong, the Canadian POW experience and the devastating PTSD upon returning home. Graham doesn’t shy away from the atrocities faced by our heroes. Against this backdrop is a couple and their family torn apart by religious beliefs and an accident. Max goes one way and pursues medical school and Molly goes another way and works in a newspaper office after school. In an attempt to avoid stubborn Molly, Max enlists and is sent overseas. This bittersweet story has some unexpected twists and will leave you an emotional wreck.

A Northern Ireland girl by birth, I’ve attended Twelfth of July parades where the Protestant Orangemen march to commemorate the Battle of the Boyne and the Glorious Revolution that granted Protestant groups freedom of worship and a democracy that shifted from an absolute to a parliamentary monarchy. I am well aware of living in an area rife with religious tension. A Canadian by choice and a high school teacher, I’m aware of the history written in our textbooks. However, it’s with a humbled and grateful heart that I thank Genevieve Graham for bringing to light our forgotten history. I had no idea that the Orangemen were parading in Toronto and had such a strong hold. Our History 12 students learn about the Battle of Hong Kong and the Canadian POW experience. We have never been taught about the Christie Pits Riot and, although our teens learn about the depression era, they do not focus on the religious undercurrents nor racial tensions. This book needs to be incorporated into our curriculum.

Thank you Genevieve Graham, Simon and Schuster Canada, and NetGalley for a chance to read this amazing advance copy in exchange for my honest review.

Letters Across the Sea by Genevieve Graham tells the little known story of the Battle of Hong Kong, and the role that Canadian soldiers played, and the enormous toll taken, by not surrendering. This is a meticulously researched account of WWII from a distinctly Canadian perspective, giving voice to a city and, indeed, a nation that is not often heard when reading fictional accounts of the atrocities of war based on factual evidence. Once again, Ms Graham has immortalized a period of history, in particular a battle of which I suspect that most Canadian readers are unaware. As a proud Canadian who is familiar with the city of Toronto, I must admit that I knew very little about the riots at Christie Pits, nor was I familiar with the Battle of Hong Kong which claimed the lives of Canadian soldiers, a battle that has not been properly recognized by the Canadian government to this day. Thank you Ms Graham for shining a light on Canada's military history during such a bleak period.

The story of Molly and Max is beautifully brought to life by the author, and is surely only one of many such heartbreaking tales of love and survival in Toronto during the 1930s. Ms Graham, to me, strikes the ideal balance between educating and entertaining, and long may her stories continue to endure and enlighten.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Simon & Schuster Canada for an ARC of this title.

4.5 STARS - Genevieve Graham's previous book, The Forgotten Home Child, blew me away with its story that wove lesser-known parts of Canadian history with sympathetic characters I couldn't help but root for. It was my favourite book of Graham's -- until now.

I was immediately intrigued by Graham's upcoming book, Letters Across the Sea because part of it is set in a Toronto neighbourhood close to where my mom grew up. Along with a few Ontario locations many readers will recognize, Graham has written a story that spans the effects of the Great Depression, the simmering and often blatant anti-Semitism in 1930's Toronto and a look at a group of Canadian soldiers who were sent into WWII not properly trained and vastly outnumbered by their ruthless counterparts.

Through the POVs of Molly - an Irish Protestant teen and Max, her Jewish neighbour, Graham puts a face to the growing racial tensions that were rife in Toronto in the 1930's, leading to Canada's largest ethnic-based violent event in Canadian history - the Christie Pits Riot.

With her detailed research, Graham also unearths a part of Canadian history that I knew nothing about - the Canadian soldiers who fought in the Battle of Hong Kong. With building tension and an unflinching look at barbaric the realities of war, Graham gives readers a sobering look at this group of Canadian soldiers. Some of these soldiers gave their lives in combat, others endured years of horrific treatment in Japanese POW camps and the remaining returned home only to learn that all their sacrifices would be ignored by their government and fellow Canadians.

Letters Across the Sea is a sobering blend of history, humanity, courage, and hope. By weaving poignant story lines with historical facts, Graham educates her readers about lesser-known parts of Canadian history while bringing a human perspective to those darker times that we should never again forget. As the proud granddaughter of an Orangeman who was a soldier in the Irish Regiment of Toronto, I want to thank the author for highlighting the heroism of a group of Canadian soldiers that the textbooks, the Canadian government, and the Canadian people sadly and shamefully forgot. Genevieve, thank you for giving them a voice.

Note: Once you have read this book, please do not forget to read the author's note at the end.

Disclaimer: My sincere thanks to Simon and Schuster Canada for my complimentary digital copy of this title, via NetGalley, in exchange for my honest review.

Loved this Canadian Ww2 historical fiction. This is the second book I've read by Ms.Graham and I found it extremely well researched and beautifully written. How eyeopening it was to read about the treatment of Jewish people in my own country during the 30s. I am horrified with myself for not being more aware of these events! Thank you to the author for bringing this to our attention. I also don't typically enjoy reading battle scenes but when I was reading about the battle with the Canadians in Hong Kong, I could not tear my eyes from the book. It read exactly like I was watching it on film, really horrifying and life like. Again, a story from my own history I was not aware of!
The characters in this book are believable and relatable. I loved Molly and how she was strong in her beliefs in the beginning and how she stood up to the injustice right from the start. I would like to think I would be just like her.
In all, a great historical fiction sharing parts of Canadisn history that might not be well known, but so so important. Thanks Netgalley!

BOOK REVIEW
Letters Across the Sea by Genevieve Graham
PUB Date April 27 2021
Thank you to @netgalley and @simonandschusterca for my ARC in return for an honest review.

Where do I start... I binged this read in one sitting. At one point tears were pouring down my face and my husband asked what was wrong...how could I explain... Genevieve does it soo much better.

Each time I pick up one of Genevieve’s books I am amazed by what I learn. There is soo much I do not know about my owns country’s history. So much I don’t know about Canada’s involvement in WWII.

I did not know about the circumstances that led to the Christie Pit Riots. I did not know about “Orangeman” or the parade that was held yearly. I did not know that Toronto had a Jewish newspaper in the 30’s. I am sorry to say “I did not know” when it comes to my own country’s history.
Genevieve sets the stage for Canada’s involvement in WWII by establishing the ideas and thoughts of the communities in Toronto leading up to Canada’s involvement. The story slowly progresses as tensions and unrest rise thoughout the country.

This Romeo and Juliet love story follows Molly and Max. They come from complete different backgrounds, Max is Jewish and studying to become a Doctor, and Molly, raised in a strict Protestant household was forced to leave school early to help support her family. The events at the Riot were just the beginning, soon World war breaks out and each turns down a different path, away from each other.

Family. Friends. During times of hardship we rely on our family and friends to support us, to sacrifice for us, to love us. With the love and support fo family anything is possible. Enduring a prison camp. Surviving a war. Chasing our dreams. Finding love, and keeping it. Genevieve holds the hand of the reader, taking them on a journey to the past, becoming a voice for the people whose memories lived in the moments in between.

The week before the Riot.
The month before Canada joined the war.
The minute before Max is captured.
The day Molly gets a job at the Star.
The years they are separated.
The moments they had before....

A read that will stay with me for awhile. A read I learned from. An author that moved me to ask questions about my Country’s history, and my family’s.

First off thank you to Netgally and Simone and Schuster for this amazing ARC.
This is a story about Canadians during the Great Depression and WWII, something we do not get to read enough about. This is a story that will put you through a range of emotions, it is touching, infuriating, and heartbreaking. It shows up true Canadian spirit, the never give up attitude, at even during the worst times you can change someone with simple human kindness. This multiple POV story shows us what it was like at home, as well as what it was like for soldiers fighting and beheld captive in POW camps. There was no shying away from the harsh realities they all had to face.
This story makes me wish I had of got the chance to talk to my Grandfather and hear his stories from WWII and surviving the beaches of Normandy. 5 stars, Genevieve Graham writes some of my favourite historical fiction, I cannot wait to see what she has up her sleeve next.