Just finished On Isabella Street by Genevieve Graham and I LOVED it.
Two women meet by chance in an elevator and end up forming the most unexpected and beautiful friendship. The story blends history, love, and real emotion in such a powerful way. It’s heartwarming, sometimes heartbreaking, and totally unforgettable. If you’re into stories about strong friendships and finding connection in unexpected places, definitely give this one a read!

Genevieve Graham has done it again. On Isabella Street is another fabulous Canadian historical fiction read.

Set in Toronto and Vietnam, the story focuses on the impacts of two significant events in the 1960s: the Vietnam War and deinstitutionalization (the closing of psychiatric institutions in favour of community-based care). The novel unfolds through the lives of two young Canadian women, Marion and Susan (Sassy) living in the same apartment building (Isabella Street) whose lives become intertwined and whose friendship sees them through the ups and downs of life. Both characters are well-developed and likeable.

While the story starts slowly and is focused on the backstory of the women, it quickly becomes absorbing. Written in an easy flowing style and told through both women’s perspectives, the novel does a good job recreating the 1960s culture, music, and societal attitudes. It is clear that the author has done a lot of research as the authenticity of the period comes through clearly (don’t miss the author’s notes).

The story touches on several social issues and themes including living with mental illness, PTSD, war-induced trauma, homelessness, and the treatment of veterans once they returned from Vietnam. I did not know that Canadian soldiers volunteered to fight in Vietnam. There are many emotional moments woven around these themes.

While this book has a different focus on the Vietnam War and its impacts than Kristin Hannah’s The Women, On Isabella Street, in my view, is just as good and captivating. Highly recommend!

Thanks to the publisher for this complimentary copy. All opinions are my own.

Two women strike up an unexpected friendship and help each other navigate tragedy, changing times and personal growth. I really enjoyed this historical fiction. There was a lot of coincidence at play with this story, but I think it helped to lighten the otherwise heavy topics of the Vietnam War and deinstitutionalization. Graham certainly didn’t shy away from these topics or politics, feminism, and the free love movement. Overall, I think it was well written and for fans of historical fiction, this is a solid choice.
4 stars for this read.

Genevieve Graham has solidified herself as an auto-read author. Her passion for telling Canadian historical fiction stories is evident in her well researched books. On Isabel Street released just a few days ago.

On Isabella Street is a vivid portrayal of what life was like in Toronto in 1967. Seen through the eyes of two women, from different walks of life, and how they develop a special friendship. One a psychiatrist that deals with the deinstitutionalization of mental institutions that took place in that year. As one of a very few female doctors in her field, her struggle is felt. The other view is of a carefree, happy, bubbling folk singer from a well to do family. Her brother has joined the US Marines and sent over to Vietnam.

I could go on and on what takes place in this book but rather say that On Isabella Street is a must read for historical fiction lovers. It is not just a story of a friendship, but it is also a glimpse of how the Vietnam war affected Canada, the struggles with PTSD when it wasn’t as well known as it is today. This is a very well written story that has some twists, romance, but ultimately it is about friendship, family and the bonds that held them together.

My thanks to Simon & Schuster CA for a digital arc in exchange for a honest review.

Another amazing book by Genevieve Graham! I was so excited to get an ARC of this book because I always know I’m going to get treated to some well written Canadian history. Our two main characters are Sassy, a young hippie still figuring out her place in the world, and psychiatrist Marion who is struggling to find a work/life balance. The two become fast friends when they meet in the elevator of their building on Isabella Street. Together they navigate the turbulence of cultural change in Toronto during the 1960’s.

These characters are so well written and grow so much during their storyline. I was pulled right in and learned quite a bit about that time period in Canada without feeling like I was in a history lesson. The storyline was well wrapped up but I’m going to be thinking about Sassy and Marion for awhile yet.

Thank you to NetGalley and Simon & Schuster Canada for the ARC of this book!

Wonderful Canadian 1960's historical novel

On Isabella Street is another fascinating story from Geneviève Graham, one of Canada's best historical fiction writers. This book is set in the 1960's and adresses the Vietnam War from a Canadian perspective, along with PTSD in servicemen in general. It also provides a window into the closure of mental health hospitals and release of the patients into society in general. The story is told from the point of view of two different young women who also experience the sexism rampant in this era. All within a well written and well researched story. Highly recommended!

Thank you to the publisher who lent me a time limited e-arc via netgalley with no obligation. This review is optional and my own opinion.

I always look forward to one of my favourite authors, Genevieve Graham, releasing a new book. She does an amazing job in bringing little known Canadian history to life. And this was no exception. The story takes place in Toronto and Vietnam in the 1960s during the Vietnam war. She weaves the stories of deinstitutionalization of mental hospitals and the part Canada played in the war skillfully.
I highly recommend this book.

Thank you to NetGalley and Simon and Schuster Canada for an eARC of ‘On Isabella Street’.

On Isabella Street by Genevieve Graham is a well written, captivating story about the turbulent times during the Vietnam War and life in Canada. The author is a talented writer that weaves a story that builds from the beginning to the very end. With alternating chapters between the main characters, this story moved along fast.

The two main characters in the book come from very different backgrounds. Sassy is a flower child, hippy and Dr Marion Hart is a conservative psychiatrist. The unlikely two meet and form a fast friendship. They inspire each other to step out of their comfort zones, give support in tragic times and form an unbreakable bond. There are so many emotions throughout the novel, from joy to heartbreak and the devastation of war. This story deals with many hard issues that people faced in 1967 in Canada.

I would highly recommend reading this book. Thank you NetGalley and Simon and Schuster Canada for an advance copy of this book.

Thank you, NetGalley for the ARC! On Isabella Street by Genevieve Graham is a work of historical fiction based on the events which took place during the Vietnam war. The story starts out with trying to illustrate the vast differences between how different parts of society, viewed the Vietnam war. There were draft dodgers. There were also sympathizers or as society would call them “flower children”. There were also adults who saw what was happening and didn’t quite fully comprehend the total devastation that was going on on the other side of the world. When those veterans came back, their lives were forever changed. Some psychiatrists, who tried to understand their trauma, were able to sympathize with them and ultimately, were able to help them find their way in this new reality they found themselves in. The story also highlights ways in which health professionals volunteered as Canadians to help their American counterparts by going over and supporting the Red Cross. Their efforts to help the soldiers who were being injured on the battlefield is often overshadowed by the lack of empathy they faced upon their return home. I found that the story having taken place in Toronto, Ontario gave a very different view of how people in different countries viewed the American’s involvement in the Vietnam War. It also allowed me to not only see how Canadians views on that war were different, but how people were still able to set aside those differences in order to to help provide critical support. Overall, a great read by a Canadian author that I would recommend to others.

Genevieve Graham writes beautiful, well researched, engaging books. On Isabella Street is a story that builds from the very first chapter to the ending storyline. Each chapter had a purpose, with carefully curated details both educational and storytelling in nature. As the pieces of the story build, you just want to keep reading. I loved how purposeful that felt.

Set in 1967 with the Vietnam war and decentralization of Psychiatric hospitals, there was so much information to provide alongside the characters. The main characters Sassy and Marion were so different but I loved how Isabella Street brought them together and how their lives become intertwined in courage, trauma, grief and friendship. There were nuances to the story that I anticipated but then a few twists that caught me by surprise.

A great read for anyone who likes historical fiction.

4.5 starts for me! The only reason its not quite a 5 star, was I found that certain pieces to intertwine with one another just a little too nicely. But minor detail for what was an excellent book.

On Isabella Street is a captivating and moving account of the human condition in 1960´s Canada. It’s was a time of protests, activism, music and counterculture and the era is vividly brought to life. It’s surprisingly atmospheric.

The story unfolds, in what today is a nondescript building on 105 Isabella Street in Toronto. At the time it was built, I’m sure it was considered sleek and modern. But it’s real significance lies in the little community it houses. Within its walls, a group of characters come together, forging friendships, offering each other unwavering support, and for listening to each other in a story full of secrets and lies.

There are two main characters, Sassy, a hippie and musician who has big dreams, but is a bit immature at the start of the story. Then there’s Marion, a compassionate psychiatrist concerned with the closure of mental institutions and the heartbreaking release of patients still in need of care.

As with all of Genevieve Graham’s novels, there is some little known aspect of Canadian history that brings the plot together. Apart from 105 Isabella Street, that is. Everyone knows about the US and the Vietnam War. What many readers may not know (I certainly didn’t) is that Canada also played a fairly significant role. Not only did many Canadians voluntarily fight in Vietnam, but Canada also manufactured and supplied weapons to the US and even built the Huey helicopters used in the war.

This story deals with many hard hitting topics such as war, the psychological effects of trauma and is an exploration of grief and guilt. Most of all though, the underlying theme, is the importance of courage, friendship and standing up for what you believe in.

If you love historical fiction and what something that isn’t about WWII, then pick this one up. It comes out April 22.

Thank you so much NetGalley and Simon & Schuster Canada for the ARC.

I really enjoy historical fictions because although characters and some things are fiction the events are real and this is true regard this book.

I never knew about Canada's role in the Vietnam war or the deinstitutionalization of mental hospitals here in Canada.

I loved this book, I loved reading about the 60's( it was 20 years before my birth), I loved the characters and just about everything about this book. A definite recommend

Thank you publishers and netgalley for allowing me to read this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Set in 1967 it was a decade of turbulent times. The Vietnam War. Canadian hospitals are in the process of deinstutionalization. Men and Women crossing the border into Canada to avoid serving in a war that was deemed "unwinnable" Yet many Canadians joined the U.S and fought in the same war. It was the most significant counter-culture movement in any decade.

There is a lot to unpack in this novel, expertly researched and crafted to give you the reader an in-depth look at the history and the societal changes that occurred in Canada during the 60s. The music, the signs. END THE WAR, ALL YOU NEED IS LOVE. It is a history lesson and a time that some missed, or whispered about, never knew or refused to acknowledge.

Dr Marion Hart and Sassy Rankin are polar opposites. They had only one thing in common we they lived, 105 Isabella Street. Marion is the observer behind the glass, she had spent her life buried in books to become a doctor. Responsibility over adventure. She was jealous. These young people were so enthusiastic. How do you engage? "This generation had leapt into the surging water of revolution and protest."

Sassy Rankin is among them. A budding folk singer from a privileged family. The 60s were liberating and free which suited her perfectly. These two women will strike up a lifetime friendship, one that will test and influence each other. Taking chances, standing up and making a difference.


A profound historical account of Canadian history. a decade of war, free love and flower-power. To those who served and were disregarded and forgotten Graham has given back a capsule of time every Canadian should read about!! I Highly recommend this book

Many thanks to @netgalley and @ simonshustercanada for this E-ARC in exchange for an honest review.

To @genevievegrahamauthor Thank you for making the whispers become words in a book
Check out my full review on Goodreads -Sunflowerbooknook

I really liked this book and learned so much about the Vietnam War and the part Canada played, in addition to the parallel storyline about deinstitutionalization in Toronto. The characters were all so interesting and I liked how Isabella Street was home to so many people who were interconnected in the end. Thanks to NetGalley for the free e-ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Another wonderful story written by one of my favourite authors! This quite possibly be my all-time favourite. I usually avoid reading books that take place in the 60's and 70's, and veer towards WWII historical fiction. But, I am so glad I had the chance to partake of this one. As always, it is filled with well-researched information, this time about Canada's part in the Vietnam War and the deinstitutionalization of mental hospitals. The characters were all very different but very likable. It seemed like a departure from Ms. Graham's usual fare, but I am so happy she explored this moment in history. I was left feeling more educated and with a warm heart.

Thanks to Netgalley and Simon & Schuster.ca for the much-appreciated ARC, 'On Isabella Street' by Genevieve Graham. She is my favourite author of powerful novels based on little-known Canadian history combined with compelling character development. The story is set in Toronto during the turbulent 1960s during extreme counter-culture movements. The two women and their romantic interests represent different aspects of peoples' beliefs, attitudes, lifestyles, backgrounds, and behaviour in 1967. It is an emotional look at how their unlikely romantic relationships and their polar opposite concerns influenced others. The two women living in the same apartment building on Isabella Street are quite different and would never become friendly. One day, they are stuck in the elevator and bond as friends.

Two women, Marion and Sassy, are examples of people caught up in social movements reflecting profound changes in Canadian society. During this era, Canada didn't officially partake in the US war in Vietnam. However, nearly 40,000 Canadians enlisted with the American military in Vietnam, and their treatment was shown when they returned home from the unpopular war. Protests against the war were prevalent. American draft dodgers fled to Canada and were supported, unlike the deserters.

Marion is a psychiatrist at Toronto's leading mental hospital. Her father returned from a previous war with symptoms of PTSD, and she wants to understand and help patients with these terrifying flashbacks. She is earnest and timid, with no social life. While treating and becoming attracted to a soldier injured in Vietnam, Daniel, who lost an eye, has a scarred face and suffers from PTSD, he makes her realize that there is more to life than the way she is living.

Marion is puzzled about why Daniel wants to return to his group in Vietnam. She is also worried about the upcoming closure of major mental hospitals in favour of community-based centres. She believes that many displaced patients will not cope with the lack of supervision while failing to take their prescribed medication. Many will become homeless and living on the streets. That happens to Daniel when the hospital closes down. Marion decides to take a bold step by volunteering as a medic in Vietnam. She cannot go without a bodyguard. Once Daniel is found, he volunteers to accompany and protect her.

Sassy is an aspiring folk singer and an outspoken hippy. She comes from a privileged family. Her father is a Real Estate CEO who supports her unemployment and peace protests over the war in Vietnam. She is shattered when her brother goes to fight in Vietnam and is reported missing. The aim is gentrifying the city, turning affordable living quarters into homes none of her friends can afford. She also realizes that Canada is profiting by selling arms for the war. Sassy's father dies, and his partner Tom becomes head of the business. Sassy finds his work and attitude unbearable but finds herself drawn to him.

Marion is way out of her comfort zone in Vietnam. She has never been in a plane before and now travels with Daniel in helicopters under fire. She has always been fearful and refused to learn to swim. Now, she must run through rivers while being shot at and rescued by Daniel. He is always encouraging; she shoots and kills a Viet Cong and saves Daniel's life. They rescue three soldiers imprisoned in Vietnam.

I liked the 1960s slang, sayings, and mentions of popular songs and celebrities like Leonard Cohen. Buffy St. Marie is still in the news, and the Rolling Stones are frequently mentioned. Who would have thought that 60 years later, they are still recording and performing?

Marion is disturbed and disgusted by hospital conditions while working in Vietnam. She soon braces herself and does a fine job in the ER. She returns to Canada as a better, braver, and more confident person. She and Daniel confess their love. With Tom's approval, Sassy invests her inheritance in building living places for returning veterans and the homeless. It appears that she and Tom will become a couple despite their differences. She still despairs about her brother's fate.

The ending is satisfactory, and the emotional and entertaining book is recommended. The publication date is April 22/2025.

Thanks to NetGalley and Simon & Schuster Canada for access to this title. All opinions expressed are my own.

We all talk about when spring starts, but I only find it official when I snuggle up with the latest Genevieve Graham. The Queen of Canadian Historical Fiction, Graham brings us back to Toronto. This time, it is the 1960s when music and free love filled the streets, the war in Vietnam raged on, and the deinstitutionalization of psychiatric hospitals made way for community health centres.

The book's two female protagonists are complete opposites. Dr. Marion Hart is a psychiatrist fighting deinstitutionalization because she fears it will one day lead to major homelessness. Susan "Sassy" Rankin is a promising folk singer who wants to heal the world with her music and wishes daily for the return of her beloved brother, Joey, a Canadian, who is among the estimated 40,000 Canadians who went to fight in Vietnam. What these women have in common is that they live in the same apartment building. However, one stormy night, being stuck in an elevator is all it takes to make them friends.

The men in their lives are also opposites of our protagonists. Their fathers, both veterans of WWII, have carried their battle wounds in different ways. For Sassy's father, he threw himself into the world of real estate and raising his two children after the death of his wife. But Sassy felt her father distance himself, and she works hard to please him. Marion's father worked for his family, but suffered emotionally and mentally from his service. It is part of what sparked Marion to become a doctor.

Finally, there are the men in their lives who also have their dreams and wounds. For Sassy, it is her father's business partner, Tom, who is the direct opposite of what a hippy gal should desire, but she cannot deny his appeal. For Marion, it is her patient, Danny, a war veteran who puzzles her with his desire to return to his men in Vietnam.

Yet all of these characters reflect the many men and women who defined the changes that the 1960s witnessed in Canada.

Genevieve Graham's greatest talent is creating characters that a reader cannot help but laugh, cry, and follow along no matter where the paths may lead. Most times, this decade in our school history books reflects on the Quiet Revolution in Quebec. Not that it isn't important, but for whatever reason, when it comes to any period of study, those who create curricula fool us into thinking NOTHING ELSE WAS HAPPENING. It is not often that there is any discussion on the
Canadian involvement in the Vietnam War, from the men who went to war or the way the war boosted the economy.

I love that when I finish one of GG's books, I feel that I learned something. I am so appreciative of the wealth of information provided in the author's note and acknowledgments, along with a list of resources used in the writing of the novel. As I have hinted, the female protagonists do experience a little romance, but it in no way overshadows all the informative and emotional plot that exists on its pages.

One last note, whoever designs the covers of these books, you're doing phenomenal!!


Expected Publication 22/04/25
Goodreads Review 03/04/25

This author always manages to both entertain and educate me, which is the reason I enjoy historical fiction. This book deals with Vietnam veterans in Canada and the effect deinstitutionalizing those with mental health issues had on vets suffering from PTSD. Set in Toronto and Vietnam, the story includes romance and an unlikely female friendship, where both women experience a ‘coming of age’. I really enjoyed it. Thank to NetGalley for the digital advance reading copy. 4.25/5

On Isabella Street by Genevieve Graham is a heartwarming story. In Toronto 1967, two young women with different backgrounds, attitudes, and aptitudes are living in an exciting but confusing time, the most extreme counter-culture movement the modern world has ever seen. They have little in common except for the place they both call home: an apartment building on Isabella Street.

Marion Hart, a psychiatrist working in Toronto’s foremost mental institution, is fighting deinstitutionalization—the closing of major institutions in favour of community-based centres—because she believes it could one day cause major homelessness. When Daniel Neumann, a veteran with a debilitating wound, is admitted to the mental institution, Marion will learn through him that there is so much more to life than what she is living.

Graham does a wonderful job creating an inspirational story of two different women's courage during the Vietnam War. On Isabella Street had me turning the pages to the very end. This book is an easy 4 stars. I highly recommend this book for anyone who loves historical fiction and action thrillers.

I received a free advanced copy and all opinions are my own. I would like to offer my sincerest gratitude to Simon & Schuster Canada and NetGalley for the advanced copy.

Graham says in her Note to Readers "writing historical fiction is more than writing about history. It's writing about human lives caught up in that history." - and it always shows in her books because they are such a good mix of fiction weaved with characters based on real people and historical events. I always learn so much while reader Genevieve Graham's stories.

On Isabella Street is set around the Viet Nam War, draft dodgers/resisters, and deinstitutionalization. It had such a wide range of characters - Sassy (a hippy singer forced to work "a real job") and Marion (a psychiatrist who lives a quiet life), two polar opposite neighbours who become best friends. All of the side characters were fantastic and added so much throughout the story.

This was an emotional read but I couldn't put it down and didn't want it to end. I felt so immersed in all of their lives. I loved this story and highly recommend if you enjoy historical fiction or Graham's previous books!

Huge thanks to NetGalley and Simon & Schuster Canada for a digital & physical copy! 🫶🏻