I am always up for a WWII story. Seeing what was happening in different countries is always fascinating and heartbreaking.

This was a beautiful 5 ⭐️ for me. It a beautiful ending to a terrible war and told from the eyes of Toronto, Canada. It was a sweet slow burn romance and so much more. Probably the most significant thing was “the battle of Hong Kong”. I encourage you to look that up! I was stunned silent from the account and will be thinking about this book for days. Well written and definitely worth reading. Side note to the author; I loved the note to readers. The maps and pictures were priceless. Thank you 💗
Thanks Simon & Schuster via NetGalley.

In 1933, Molly Ryan is an 18 year-old who wants to be a journalist but puts her dreams on hold to help support her large family during the Depression in Canada. Although her father is a police Sergeant, she drops out of school to add to the meager earnings from her brothers. She makes the most of her situation by spending time with her best friend, Hannah Dreyfus and her older brother Max. They spend time playing baseball and swimming as a distraction from the tolls of looming war. Tension begins to rise as Hilter begins his antisemitic campaign against the Jewish people. Molly is naïve regarding the dangerous effects of the antisemitic campaigns against the Jewish people, including her affection for Max. When a misunderstanding occurs between the Irish Protestant Ryan family and the Jewish Dreyfus neighbors occurs at Willowvale Park, the divide becomes evident when the largest ethnic riot in Canadian history erupts at Christie Pits.

By 1939, after years of night school and journalism classes, Molly finds herself working as the only female journalist for The Toronto Daily Star with Ian Collins as a senior reporter. She had dodged his mother's matching attempts for years and now finds herself working with every day. Her thoughts often went to Rhea Clyman, a tenacious female reporter, who work Max had shared with Molly as aspiration to follow her dreams. Now, as Canada enters the war with Britain against Germany, she reflects on the past years since the Christie Pits riot and the tragedy that shattered the of the bonds that once connected the families.

Unfortunately, by 1942 the war was imminent sending many able bodied men over seas to fight for their country. This story focuses on apart of the war not frequently mentioned as it was devasting failure of the British who sent unprepared Canadian military to Hong Kong assuring them they would be safe from gun fire. These men were sent with insufficient ammunition and training to respond to active gun fire. The Battle of Hong Kong should never have occurred but they completely underestimated the Emperor Hirohito who moved swiftly into the war ignoring the Geneva Convention. The Japanese planned an unexpected bomb attack on Pearl Harbor and swiftly moved on to the Philippines before eventually reaching Hong Kong. Those who didn't die were eventually captured and held as prisoners.

The novel explores the tragedies of war and the aftermath as experienced by the soldiers and their families. It is ripe with themes of friendship, acceptance, and the strength of the human spirit to confront and overcome emotional obstacles. There is love, loss, heart breaking experiences which will later exist as guarded stories passed on for generations. The author has done her due diligence in her thorough and painstakingly vivid descriptions of a story many would likely forget. But, like most stories about the war there are real people who fought and sacrificed their lives for their country. The stories are a testament and remembrance of those brave heroes.

I received a complimentary digital copy of this book from the publisher and NetGalley. This review is my voluntary and unbiased opinion.

As the news of war across the ocean increases daily at home in Toronto Molly Ryan can see signs of tension begin to bubble to the surface. The Depression has crippled many families across the city including Molly's, forcing her to leave school early and join the workforce putting her dreams aside of becoming a journalist. The one thing that Molly looks forward to the most is watching her brother's baseball games even more so now that her best friend's brother is back from college. As the warm summer months pass by it becomes more and more obvious that things are changing. Businesses are refusing to sell to the Jewish community, parts of the city are openly unwelcome and it all comes to a boiling point one late summer night when a riot breaks out and Molly's life is changed forever. I have read many books set during WW2 but I had never read one that covered this angle of history. Graham focuses on a little discussed Canadian history and a group of soldiers sent to China during one of the most dangerous periods of WW2. I learned so much from reading "Letters Across the Sea" and found even the Author's Notes fascinating. If you are a fan of His Fic I highly recommend adding this to your TBR list. Thank you to NetGalley and Simon & Schuster for my digital copy in exchange for an honest review.

This book will open your eyes to things about history you never even dreamt of. I learned so much all while falling in love with the characters, and Graham's writing style.

I received a complimentary copy of this book. I was not required to write a favorable review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC. This was a more unique WW2 story I've read. Really enjoyed this one!

Historical fiction is supposed to yeach us as well as entertain us, and this one did. I don't remember ever reading or hearing anything about Canada's plight during the Depression and the years leading up to war. The battle between the two citizen's groups would have a profound effect on the emotional edge that most lived on when this era was so hard to survive. Denevieve Graham has done an ecellent job of telling this moving story.

This is generally a well-written, certainly a competent book. Its history seems accurate. There's a bit of a sense of "been there, read that" about it but it could just be I've been binging on WWII novels in the last few years. The Canada setting does add something new, though, and the story is warm enough.

All in all, a good book, well worth the time to read it.

Most of the WWII historical fiction I have read is set in England and France. Letters Across the Sea takes place in Canada during the Depression and WWII. The tensions between the Irish and Jewish families in the area lead to the Christie Pit Riot, and life is upended for Molly, Hannah and their families.

Genevieve Graham writes engaging historical fiction, and this is no exception.

I really enjoyed this book! I had never heard of the Canadian volunteers that fought at the Battle of Hong Kong and felt honored to learn their story. This book was engrossing and very interesting to read. I would recommend this book to any reader that enjoys historical fiction. I received a free copy of this book from netgalley and the publisher in exchange for my honest review.

Letters Across the Sea was a perfectly fine book for me. It had a little bit of everything- history of a time/place that I didn't know that much about, gentle romance, battle suspense...but it also didn't have a lot of anything. It felt forgettable in a way that was unfortunate. I liked this one, but didn't love it. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC.

I enjoy reading historical fictions books … especially those set during WWII. And when the story reveals a new aspect to the war. I am ready to get lost in the story. This book displays real events that occurred in Canada and Hong Kong. I did not realize the anti-Semitic views that were so rampant in Canada. The characters are well developed and the author does an excellent job on presenting the realities of war. The characters will come alive to you as you experience the struggles they faced during this difficult period of time.

Thank you to NetGalley and Simon and Schuster for my advanced review copy. All opinions and thoughts are my own.

For more reviews, please visit my blog at: https://www.msladybugsbookreviews.com/. Over 1000 reviews posted!

I want to thank Netgalley and the author for gifting me the ebook. Great WWII novel. Highly recommend.

All I can say is WOW. Thank you to NetGalley for an advance read copy of this book in exchange for an unbiased review.

I have read many WWII books but few have touched me like this one has. It is the story of 2 Canadian families living through the depression and then the war itself. It doesn’t sugarcoat what families went through. It has given me a new found respect, appreciation, and honestly, there aren’t words to describe the feelings this story evoked within me. THAT is what makes a book good. If icould give this book infinite amount of stars I would.

*I received a free copy of this ebook from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.*

I can't believe I've had this book for over a year and just now got around to reading it. Historical fiction is a genre I tend to forget I really love, but I do. This book was well researched and well written. I've never really thought much about Canada's involvement in World War II, but that's what this book was about. After reading the author's note at the end, I appreciated it even more because I learned that some of the war experiences described in the book are ones that aren't as widely recognized but were still horrific. In addition, I had never realized how hostile things were towards Jews here in North America leading up to WWII. It's so sad to see how neighbors can turn against each other because of what they read in biased news reports.

The book spans 12 years and begins in 1933 during the Depression, when Molly is 18 and Max is 22. I loved both of them as characters and enjoyed reading each of their chapters. I loved Molly's determination to find answers and bring attention to the things that mattered to her. She was compassionate and observant. Max as good and kind, always trying to do what was right. Seeing the trials they and their families went through was heartbreaking. Secondary characters were written well, too. I couldn't help liking Ian even though I didn't really want to (there, I said it).

I am going to check out other books this author has written (and will write) so that I can add them to my list.

Note: A little mild swearing. Atrocities of war. (If you've read Laura Hillenbrand's Unbroken, it won't surprise you.)

Molly and Max grew up together in Toronto, but are separated by circumstance and war, each taking a different path. This is their story told in alternating chapters. Yes, it's a romance, but it's really historical fiction about relatively unknown events in Canadian history -- a riot between Swastika Club members and Jewish supporters in Toronto and the fate of Canadian soldiers stationed in Hong Kong and taken prisoner by the Japanese. The action is swift, brutal, and very engrossing. The characters are so real I became completely involved, crying and celebrating with them. I was completely taken in. A well crafted historical fiction novel. How fascinating to read something about WWII that's not set in Europe.

Absolutely fantastic. If a book makes me cry, you know you've hit the spot with excellent writing and narration. I cried. I really appreciated the perspective of the sister, witnessing her brothers coming home from war, or not coming home at all. Graham highlighted an important aspect of history that many, including myself, know little about. Thank you for allowing me the opportunity to read and review this!

This WWII novel tells of a poignant friendship and the enduring power of love. This touching, well-written and enjoyable read for fans of historical fiction and this time period. I enjoyed a WWII novel with some different locations and elements. 3.5 stars

Letters Across the Sea checked every single box for what I look for in and love about historical fiction! Genevieve Graham really knocked it out of the park with this book and I absolutely loved it. One thing that caught my attention right off the bat here was the comparison of this book to one of my all time favorites, The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society, and I found the powerful love story at play here to fit that bill nicely.

I went into this story knowing so little about Canadian history and came out the other side truly having learned a lot. There was so much surprising history here that I feel many would find they know next to none about and, will appreciate learning about as did I. This book is inspired by true events of WW2 and I thought the author did a phenomenal job bringing the atmosphere and events of the time to light. This story is told a dual POV'/timelines, and I found that not only were the characters well-developed and ones I appreciated getting to read about, but the setting, the town itself, had its own unique place within the story and almost felt like a character too. The writing is poignant and detailed and it's quite clear that the author did her due diligence in research for the book.

Powerful and emotional, immersive and beautifully told, this is a historical fiction must-read. My only regret here is that it slipped through the cracks on my TBR and took me so long to pick up!

Many thanks to Simon and Schuster and NetGalley for the gifted e-copy!

WWII historical fiction based around events that happened in Toronto. It was interesting to read about events that were previously unknown to me.

The main issues I had with the book come down to writing style. I found it pretty simplistic and for the first third or so I wondered if it was geared to teens. Later on it was clear that it was not, but that is how most of the writing felt. I also found several of the characters unbelievable. It was too easy for them to love and respect each other, than all of a sudden hate them, then just as easily go back to the way it was. The damage that was done by the hate in this book would not quickly dissolve.

Overall I think the story was good, but I do not believe this author is for me.