Letters Across The Sea

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 forget. As the proud granddaughter of an Orangeman who was a soldier in the Irish Regiment of Toronto (pictured above), 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.  

My Rating: 4.5 stars

Author: Genevieve Graham

Genre: Historical Fiction (Canada)

Type and Source: eBook from publisher via NetGalley

Publisher: Simon and Schuster Canada

First Published: April 27, 2021

Opening Lines: If you're reading this letter, that means 

I'm dead. But I guess you already know that.

Book Description from GoodReads: Inspired by a little-known chapter of World War II history, a young Protestant girl and her Jewish neighbour are caught up in the terrible wave of hate sweeping the globe on the eve of war in this powerful love story from the #1 bestselling author of The Forgotten Home Child.

I’m writing to say goodbye…
With all my love,
M

Summer 1933

At eighteen, Molly Ryan feels as though she is always looking for work to help her family through the Great Depression crippling her city. The one bright spot in her life is playing baseball with her best friend, Hannah Dreyfus, and sneaking glances at Hannah’s handsome older brother, Max. Molly knows that her Irish Protestant parents disapprove of her spending so much time with their Jewish neighbours, and she also sees the signs that say “No Jews Allowed” outside Toronto’s stores and parks. But unlike many of the city’s residents, Molly doesn’t blame Hannah and Max for the mass unemployment and unrest—they’re her beloved childhood friends.

As more of Hitler’s hateful ideas cross the sea, tensions between the two families and their communities rise, spilling over one smouldering day in August when a local “Swastika Club” unfurls a huge white banner bearing the Nazi symbol at a baseball game. A riot erupts, throwing Molly and Max together and sparking a secret they must keep from everyone they love.

When Max enlists to fight overseas, their love is put to the ultimate test, the letters between them a tenuous bond. By war’s end, both of their families will be scarred by painful betrayal as devastating truths come to light.

Perfect for readers of The Daughter’s Tale and The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society, Letters Across the Sea is a poignant novel about the enduring power of love to cross dangerous divides even in the darkest of times.