Historical Fiction published by Simon & Schuster 27 Apr 21
Of all Genevieve Graham’s books so far, this is the most poignant and emotional, and that’s saying something, considering how she brings Canadian history to life once again, giving readers fresh eyes through those of the strong and intriguing characters she conjures, to teach us all not just history, but also how to be human and flawed, as well as survivors.
I won’t go through the friendships and relationships of the Ryan and Dreyfus families during the years of World War 2, since it is described very well in the blurb below. Suffice it to say that those connections are pulled so very tight once the war is under way and Hitler’s horrible influence makes its way to Toronto, where these folks have been neighbors for years. Suddenly the growing attraction between Molly, an Irish Protestant, and Max, a Jew, is frowned upon. It’s especially disheartening when it’s Molly’s father warning her to stay away from Max, saying it’s safer for her. That may well be true, but I so love Molly’s humanness and her refusal to look at Max and his family any differently than she had before. Her desire to be a journalist is the perfect occupation for her, wanting to share all sides of any story, her fairness in a world gone mad a beautiful thing to see.
Little by little those discriminating signs, “No Jews Allowed” and others of that ilk, begin to creep into businesses in town. Scuffles ensue where they would never have happened before. Then the hideousness of those who have hidden their prejudices all along rears its ugly head, leaving injury and more hatred in their wake. Ms. Graham pulls no punches when it comes to describing the Christie Pitts riot, the deadliest in Canadian history, leaving no one unscathed, including the reader, during one of the world’s worst times in history.
As well, the horror Canada’s soldiers of WW2 go through when in the hands of the Japanese during the Battle of Hong Kong will leave you nearly as scarred as those men who eventually do return home, putting an end to their families’ torment of not knowing their loved ones’ fates. That includes those who love Max, having no word of him for years, everyone thinking the worst. Old wounds are finally healed, but what an ordeal to go through, especially when it’s at the hands and hatred of someone a world away. Ms. Graham, as usual, puts faces and voices to historical facts that make them come alive every time.
Don’t let this book pass you by. In our day and age when we are experiencing remnants of such ugliness like this in the world, this story is so very relevant. I can guarantee you will close the book as a changed person.
Grade: A
Summary:
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?
From the desperate streets of Toronto to the embattled shores of Hong Kong, Letters Across the Sea is a poignant novel about the enduring power of love to cross dangerous divides even in the darkest of times—from the #1 bestselling author of The Forgotten Home Child.
No excerpt available.
