LETTERS ACROSS THE SEA by Genevieve Graham is a beautifully-written work of historical fiction inspired by true events in Canadian history from the early 1930s during the Great Depression up to the end of World War II. Molly Ryan is an Irish Protestant teen in Toronto who is working hard to help her family through the difficult times of the Great Depression. Her best friends are her Jewish neighbors, Hannah Dreyfus and her older brother, Max. The Ryan and Dreyfus families have always been close, but as the anti-Semitic sentiment grows in the city, Molly’s parents discourage her from spending time with her friends. The wave of growing unrest culminates in a deadly riot at the Christie Pits. When Molly is attacked by a Nazi sympathizer, Max comes to her rescue, but his actions are misunderstood. What follows is a tumultuous and heartbreaking series of events that not only pull Molly and Max apart, but also destroy the friendship their families have shared for decades. As the war rages on in Europe and Asia, Max and his friends, along with Molly’s brothers, all enlist and are shipped overseas. Max ends up with other Canadian soldiers sent to defend Hong Kong from the Japanese. Unprepared for combat and lacking the equipment and manpower of the invading Japanese, thousands of brave Canadian soldiers lost their lives in the Battle of Hong Kong. Of those who survived, many spent years in Japanese prisoner of war camps facing unthinkable atrocities. Many years later, Molly has never forgotten Max, but there has never been word of his fate. Molly understands that Max is likely dead and she must move on with her life. But as the soldiers begin returning from war, Molly learns things that will change her life forever. While this is a powerful story of religious differences and war, there is, at its heart, a touching story of the power of love and the endurance of the human spirit. The characters were wonderfully-portrayed. I learned things I never knew about this time period both from the book and the author’s notes at the end. I thoroughly enjoyed this compelling and moving book and highly recommend it. Thank you to the author, publisher and NetGalley for the chance to read and review an early copy.

Thank you to NetGalley and Simon & Schuster for the advanced reader copy of this book. LETTERS ACROSS THE SEA might be the best historical fiction I've read that takes place around the World War II era.

I cannot recommend this book enough! The author did a brilliant job of writing a story so engaging and so educational that I didn't want to put it down. The story, told back and forth between Molly Ryan and Max Dreyfus, explained so many aspects of World War II that I was not aware of even taking place. The descriptions of the emotions of the characters made my heart ache, but also made me admire them for their courage and their strength.

Molly is a young woman of Irish descent with dreams of having a career as a journalist but has to postpone her plans, dropping out of school at the age of 14 to get a job to help feed her family during the Great Depression. As times started to get better, she was determined to finish school at night after working a long day job in a factory. She continues on with journalism classes and finally landing a job at one of the local papers.

Max is Jewish and in love with Molly. He and Molly's families have been friends for years-- until the Christi Pit Riots. Max and Molly were just starting to develop romantic feelings, despite knowing that they could never be together because of their different religions. A terrible accident occurs and the two go their separate ways. Max goes on to finish his degree in medicine and then, not wanting to face the hurt of running into Molly, enlists to fight overseas.

The story discusses so many issues but Graham has taken those issues and humanized them. From hungry families to working children during the Great Depression, from homeless vets to PTSD after both World Wars, from equal pay to cultural unrest in Toronto in the 1930s, and the bias of the media reporting on anti-semitism and Hitler.

If you read this book, and you should, make sure to read the Author's Note at the end.

With meticulous historical detail and exquisite writing, author Genevieve Graham has brought forth an epic saga of steadfast love, compassion, endurance and heroism. From the anti-Semitic Christie Pits riot of 1933 to the Christmas Battle of Hong Kong of 1941 and VJ Day of1945, Ms. Graham evokes richly detailed events of Canadian history and has rescued them from obscurity. The story is on the one hand a tale of horrific events, yet also one of tender caring and tremendous loyalty. Her characters are well developed, thought provoking and highly relatable.

This was my first foray into the writing of Genevieve Graham and I assure you that it won't be my last. I learned a bit more history of our nice neighbors to the north in Toronto and their engagement at the little-known Battle of Hong Kong during WWII, gaining a whole new respect for them. This was a beautiful and at times heart-wrenching tale which was highly satisfying when all was said and done. Can't wait to read more by this gifted author and storyteller.

Publication Date: April 27, 2021
Pages: 384
Publisher: Simon & Schuster
ISBN: 9781982156640

I am grateful to author Genevieve Graham and her publisher, Simon and Schuster, for having provided a complimentary advance uncorrected reader's proof of this book through NetGalley. Their generosity, however, has not influenced this review - the words of which are mine alone.

n Times of Rain and War by Camron Wright is a fictionalized World War II historical fiction novel that looks at British Bomb Disposal Unit and is based in part upon diaries written by volunteers. It describes the devastation and destruction of England, particularly London, during the Blitz. It is fast-paced, yet poignant and compelling with lovely imaging and prose. The heroine, Audrey Stocking is a German Jew masquerading as British to escape Hitler. The hero, Lieutenant Wesley Bowers is an American in training with the Bomb Squad.

The novel also looks at PTSD and how people can survive a war but never leave it fully behind. While something of a romance, there is a twist at the end that carries In Times of Rain and War beyond the usual sappy war romance. It is fast-paced, yet poignant and compelling with lovely imaging and prose. Author Camron Wright makes good use of literary sequels to highlight some of the most important scenes.

4.5/5 Genevieve Graham took me on a brand new journey through history in Letters Across the Sea. While this is a WWII novel, it covers many different aspects of the war that aren’t frequently written about.

The novel starts by introducing Max, Hannah and Molly - all good friends surviving through the Great Depression. Molly is a young Protestant woman, and Max and his sister, Hannah, are Jewish.

On August 16, 1933, the Christie Pits riot occurred in Toronto, where “Swastika clubs” began rioting after a baseball game, and several people were injured. Molly’s dad, a policeman, suffers a head injury when someone throws a brick at his head, and Max’s dad was blamed. This is the launch of anti-semitism in Canada. Jews begin to be banned from shops and restaurants, all while Hitler is rising to power in Germany. Because of these events, Max and Molly’s family ties become strained, and Max leaves for medical school without a word to Molly, cutting off hope for their friendship and budding romance.

Time passes, the war continues, and Max, along with Molly’s brothers, decides to enlist and serve in Hong Kong. Many Canadian soldiers served there during the war, another part of history that comes to light here. While they’re away, Molly propels her career at The Star as a young journalist. She catches the eye of assistant editor, Ian, and after Molly acknowledges that her brothers and Max might never come home, she decides to give Ian a chance, and they being to date. Ian and Molly attend a press event to interview newly returned vets, and in walks Max. Molly and Ian start interviewing him for a series of articles, and Molly starts feeling confused about her feeling for Max.

What I loved about this novel is the blend between real life and fiction. So many of these events really happened, and Graham artfully ties these characters into the fold while keeping much of history in tact. The focus is history, but I was rooting for the characters the whole time. I loved it.

Huge thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for an advanced reading edition in exchange for an honest review. Thank you, thank you!

This is a story of love between two people who are trying to overcome the obstacles thrown in their way. One is a Jewish, the other a Protestant. Molly has grown up across from Max, best friends with her brother Richie, and is best friends with his sister, Hannah. Despite their different religions, they realize that the other has grown up and the attraction is strong. A riot at Christie Pits not only tears the lovers apart, but also results in the families turning their backs on one another due to a life changing event during the riots. Max tries to mend the love from afar, but realizes that Molly is not willing to listen. Meanwhile, Molly moves on with life with a co-worker at the newspaper she works at after school. Max is able to fix the rift with his best friend, Richie, but then after little preparation or training, both are faced with life and death as World War II draws them into battle.

I’ll be the first to admit that I didn’t know much about the role of Canadians in World War II, but this book opened my eyes to the contributions of the brave soldiers and supportive families at home, waiting for their children to return to them. I also didn’t realize the treatment of Jews outside of Europe was as hostile as I read in this novel. This historical fiction gem is a must read for those that love World War II stories. This is the first novel of Genevieve Graham’s I’ve read, but it won’t be the last.

#netgalley #lettersacrossthesea

This story brings the little-known chapters of Canadian history which happened right after the Great Depression as an effect of it and during WWII.

Toronto, 1933. Molly, at fourteen had to drop out of school and contribute to the pot as their family and as other families have been struggling around the world due to the Crash. The Great Depression has affected everyone including children. Some, including Molly and her best friend Hannah, try to hold on to some normalcy while playing baseball. But anti-Semitism is on the rise. Signs against Jews keep appearing in the store windows. Molly’s brother after weeks of looking for a job suddenly finds one. But as it turns out it is possible because Jews are being fired. There is an emergence of the hateful Swastika Clubs. One night, a baseball game turns into a riot.

The story alternates between Molly and Max, Hannah’s brother. Molly and Max have mutual feelings for each other. Her family is Irish Protestant and his is Jewish. And Molly’s family wants her to distance herself from her best friend and her brother.

1939. Molly works as a journalist. The Riot of 1933 “marked a change for the city. Things were still tumultuous, noisy with continuing protests and prejudice…” Molly reports mostly about the local news, but she craves something more ambitious. As she remembers a morning encounter, an idea materializes. One ambitious report turns into many and uncovering about certain events during the war.

When Max enlisted with the British forces, he expected to be sent to Europe, not to Hong Kong. When Japanese attack Hong Kong, the Canadians are unprepared, lacking in proper training and weapons. They are outnumbered greatly by “Japanese forces with far superior firepower and training.”

This story vividly captures the stolen years during the Great Depression and the stolen lives during the war. It captures Toronto’s simmering with hateful tensions and leading to the Christie Pits Riot, the largest ethnic riot in Canadian history. It captures unprepared men being sent for something they should have not been sent for. It also brings the Japanese inhuman treatment of POW, not respecting the Geneva Convention; and also their attack on hospital leading to St. Stephen’s Massacre.

It’s a poignant story bringing heartache, but also showing us that even during the worst times you can find acts of human kindness. This touchingly woven story with moving characters also shows us the power of love, what it can endure and how far it can go. It’s interestingly written with well-developed characters which expose a reader to the little-known pockets of history.

Letters Across the Sea by Genevieve Graham is an excellent pre/WWII-era historical fiction novel that has it all: history, compelling and addictive narrative, wonderful cast of characters, suspense, and romance. I really loved everything about this book.

This is such a wonderful and complex book. It has several layers. Yes, in one aspect there is a romance that has fundamental obstacles of family differences and difficulties and external circumstances that are unique to that era. Molly and Max are delightful and perfectly matched characters. They have much set against them, yet love and true connection will triumph...one hopes.

I also enjoyed the unique perspective that this book takes place in Toronto, Canada during the depression and into the winds of war of WWII. I knew nothing of the involvement of Canadian soldiers being sent to Hong Kong and the POW encampments and battles against the Japanese that the ill-prepared soldiers faced. I knew of the treatment of soldiers captured by the Japanese in general, but not in regards to this specific situation. I absolutely love when I get to learn something new while I am reading a wonderful and relaxing historical fiction novel.

This is such a gem of a novel...it is what historical fiction should be.

Excellent.

5/5 stars

Thank you NG and Simon & Schuster Canada for this stunning arc and in return I am submitting my unbiased and voluntary review and opinion.

I am posting this review to my GR and Bookbub accounts immediately and will post it to my Amazon, Instagram, and B&N accounts upon publication.

Set in Toronto beginning in the 1930s, Letters Across the Sea, by Genevieve Graham presents a side of WWII I have not seen before, including the race riot in Toronto and the battle of Hong Kong.

Molly and her family are Irish and live across the street from Hannah's family. Hannah is Jewish, but she and Molly are best friends.. While it is a very diverse neighborhood, sentiments from Nazi Germany are spreading across the ocean and causing trouble in Toronto. Because of the depression Molly had to drop out of school and work. Both her father and one of her brothers express anti-Semitic feelings. When Max, Hannah's brother, comes home from college sparks begin to fly between Molly and Max. Neither family want them to be together. Disaster strikes during a riot after a baseball game and Molly's father is injured.

When WWII breaks out, Max and all of Molly's brothers enlist. Several are sent to Gander, Newfoundland and then to Hong Kong. They were not trained as soldiers, so when the Japanese attached, they were unprepared to fight an overwhelming assault. Many were taken prisoner, including Max. Back at home,Molly goes to school at night to complete high school and journalism school. She lands a job at a Toronto newspaper where she realizes here dream of writing and develops a relationship with Ian.

Not everyone comes back from the war and those who do are traumatized physically and emotionally. Healing begins for Max and he tells Molly and Ian his story. He brings a letter from Molly's brother to her family. Max has kept this letter through the years of his imprisonment. The letter helps to heal old wounds.

Until this book, I had not heard about the battle of Hong Kong. I did know of the horrific conditions in Japanese prison camps. The book reminds us of how much imprisoned men suffered. This book is worth the read. I was able to read this on #NetGalley.

Genevieve Graham has done it again - a Depression era - WWII book with an intriguing twist. I might have assumed Canada's depression was similar to everyone else's, but I didn't know about the soldiers sent unprepared to Hong Kong. A must read!

A big thank you to NetGalley for an advanced copy of Letters Across the Sea in exchange for an honest review. I loved this book and devoured in over a 2-day period. This was the first Canadian historical fiction novel that I have ever read, so I did not know what to expect. Overall, it was eye opening to learn about the political and social unrest that took place in Toronto pre-WW2. I also appreciate how the author addressed soldiers’ PTSD and transition to civilian life.

In regards to the plot, it quickly captured and retained my attention throughout the novel. Molly and Max’s relationship struggle is one that many still face today and Molly’s family’s dynamic is one that I feel many people can relate to. In addition, I liked that each chapter’s perspective switched off between Max and Molly. It provided deeper insight into their development and allowed for me to establish a greater connection to them. I look forward to reading more of this author’s work.

I received a free e-ARC copy through Netgalley.
I read a lot of historical fiction, but this is the first book I've read that focuses on the Canadian aspects during WWII. This book in particular spends a lot of time on what was happening between the Jews and Swastika groups in Canada as Hitler gained popularity. The author uses real events which are pretty horrifying to realize that this wasn't just happening in Germany, but many other parts of the world. Another historical event that I wasn't aware of was the Canadian contingent of soldiers getting sent into an impossible situation against Japanese soldiers. The atrocities committed are unsettling as they should be. The main focus of this story is a love story at heart between a Jewish man and a Gentile woman as their families are divided by WWII, but the world events happening around them play major parts in their lives.

I have enjoyed all of the books I have read by Genevieve Graham so I was thrilled when I received an ARC of this novel through NetGalley. Ms. Graham has a beautiful writing style and I found this a quick and easy read- although I did find parts of it difficult to read because of the vivid descriptions of the horrors of war. Letters Across the Sea tells the story of the Christian Ryan family and the Jewish Dreyfus family living in Toronto, Canada, beginning in the early 1930's, just before WWII, with the story ending after the war is over. The families are good friends but when Molly Ryan and Max Dreyfus develop feelings for each other, neither family is happy about it. To make things more difficult, pro-Nazi anti-Semitism was taking hold in Canada around that time period. I was shocked to read the details of both the anti-Semitic rioters and the barbarous treatment that the Canadian servicemen faced at the hands of the Japanese. No spoilers, but the author brilliantly weaves the history of the period into her tale of Molly and Max, both of their families, and WWII.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

What an amazing story! It begins as a WW2-era Romeo and Juliet story, but morphs into so much more...and chock full of history that is so rarely discussed. I daresay that most people who pick up this book will not have heard of the brave men who fought these battles, and the women they came home to as they began to put their lives back together afterward. This is a new author for me, but one I'll be looking to find more about!

“Although the world is full of suffering, it is also full of the overcoming of it.”
— Helen Keller

LETTERS ACROSS THE SEA is a heartbreaking account of anti-semitism in Canada during the Great Depression and heroism by Canadian soldiers in Hong Kong during WWII. I know little of that history, and found myself fully engaged by the historical details and the romance of Molly Ryan and Max Dreyfus set against the chilling backdrop.

Molly is Irish-blooded, Max is a Jew — friends from childhood while anti-Semitism takes root in Toronto. It erupts into a bloody riot in August 1933, spreading across the city, injuring many and dividing families, friends and neighbors. The author captures the chaos with such fervor that I felt I was there, ducking fists, bricks and body blows amid flying swastika flags.

The fall-out is ugly, and it took the outbreak of WWII to refocus the country. Max is sent to the Pacific, part of the harrowing last stand of Canadian soldiers in the Battle of Hong Kong in late 1941. A lethal event, followed by incarceration of many in horrific Japanese death camps.

What made my heart sing was the hope the author weaves through this dark tale, embodied by the tender relationship between Molly and Max. Genevieve Graham is new to me but wildly popular in Canada and I can see why. Her writing is lush, her narrative enticing, and her characters fully fleshed, causing me to care deeply about the couple from the start. Magnificent historical fiction brightened by thrilling romance!

5 of 5 Stars
Pub Date 27 Apr 2021
#LettersAcrossTheSea

Thanks to the author, Simon & Schuster Canada, and NetGalley for the ARC, in exchange for my honest review.

This is a lovely and poignant story about the power of love even in the darkest of times. The plot was enthralling and captivating to the very end. Many thanks to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for the advanced copy of the book.

Absolutely lovely. I am a big fan of Genevieve Graham and have tried to read all her books (she is Canadian and some weren't available for a while). This tells a different tale during WWII. I love all things WWII (so fascinating!) but it was nice to read something that had a different character/setting than the usual fare that is being published these days. Wonderful writing, characters you care about, romance, and superb historical detail, I enjoyed this very much!

It starts with Molly's story . Then I lost interest in descriptions and characters. I want hooked by the dialogue. I loved cover and summary and not interested after all

"Letters Across the Sea" by Genevieve Graham
Release Date: 4.27.2021

Molly is always looking for work during the Summer of 1933 during the Great Depression. When she's not working, she enjoys playing baseball with her best friend, Hannah Dreyfus and admiring Hannah's brother, Max.

Molly is aware of the growing antisemitism growing in her Toronto stores and parks. But, unlike her neighbors, she doesn't blame the Jews for the unemployment and unrest. Hannah and Max are her best friends.

Tensions rise between Molly and Hannah's family, as more and more ideas from Europe come to Toronto. When Max enlists to fight overseas, Molly promises to wait for Max.

I read a lot of World War II novels, and it is refreshing that more novels are focusing on the North American experience. Antisemitism was alive and well in the States and Canada, but our literature does not focus on that. Ms. Graham spent a lot of time researching the experiences of her characters. I will definitely be adding her other novels to my "Want to Read" list.

Thank you to NetGalley for providing an ARC in exchange for my honest review.

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