Genevieve Graham has done it again! The story told in #lettersacrossthesea is based on a little know riot in Toronto which occurred prior to the start of WWII and involved thousands of citizens. This book grabbed my interest and held it tightly throughout and as with The Forgotten Home Child, I read all the notes at the end which are also very interesting and moving. Ms Graham is the best at making history interesting and at finding little know events to incorporate into her stories. Brava!! Thank you to #netgalley and the publisher for this ARC to read and review.

This is another book, like The Third Daughter, that taught me about events in Jewish history that I was never aware of. These events took place in Toronto, Canada. I enjoyed reading this book. It was well-written and the characters were very likable. The chapters are written in alternating viewpoints of the two main characters: Max and Molly. Max is Jewish and Molly is Protestant and their families are close friends. The book describes how antisemitism in Toronto and WWII affect both families, especially Max and Molly. Thanks to #netgalley and #simonandschuster for this ARC in exchange for an honest review

Living in Toronto, Canada, Molly has big dreams to work in the newspaper business. Moving from the Great Depression to when WWII descends on her life, everything is upended, to include job losses and navigating the crush she has on her Jewish friend's brother. As friends and family are sent to war, she achieves that dream to work in the news. She applies herself to researching all the places those she loves are involved, to include the conflict in Hong Kong When she decides to settle down and marry a co-worker, she never could predict how hard that decision would be to keep.

It was interesting to learn more about the war from the viewpoint of a Canadian as well as the forces held in Hong Kong. I did not know either of those parts of WWII history, so I learned a lot. Overall an interesting read and I'm not sorry I read this one.

Thanks to NetGalley and Simon Schuster for an ARC in exchange for my honest review.

I don’t get bored with reading so many WWII novels because it seems there’s almost always something to learn, maybe a different point of view or an event I was not aware of. That was certainly the case with this wonderfully told story based on real events in Canada and Hong Kong that Genevieve Graham captures in this novel. The story of the Christie Pits Riot in Toronto in 1933 reflects the antisemitism of the time right after the depression and she focuses on Canadian soldiers in the Battle of Hong Kong in 1941 who died, those who did not come home in one piece and those who suffered horrific treatment in Japanese POW camps. She depicts the impact on the the families at home waiting for them. These events are brought to life by two families with characters who are connected by friendship and love, and become separated by antisemitism and war.

There are two alternating narrative points of view. Molly Ryan is the daughter of a Protestant Irish family who is affected by these events in tragic ways. Max Dreyfus, the man she has been in love with since they were kids, the son of a Jewish family, who also endures the harsh reality of what war and anti semitism can do. Graham bars no holds in the descriptions of the war scenes and in the depiction of the cruel and inhumane treatment of the pows held by the Japanese who did not participate in the Geneva Convention. It’s an emotional story of bravery, of family, of love, of friendship. The ending was perhaps predictable, but I wouldn’t have wanted it any other way.

I very much appreciated the author’s note giving us her inspiration for writing the novel as well as the historic context of these true events. A really good piece of historical fiction with characters to admire and remember.

I received a copy of this book from Simon & Shuster through NetGalley and Edelweiss.

This is a great book with interesting characters! I was rooting for Molly and Max individually and as a couple the entire way through. Loved learning about parts of the war I hadn't heard of before.

Letters Across the Sea taught me so much about the Canadian perspective of World War II. For some reason I never knew they had issues with Nazi sympathizers and hate crimes against Jewish people. I also had no idea about the Battle of Hong Kong and how it could have been prevented. The depiction of a Canadian prisoner of war camp was amazing. Molly and Max were both believable, likable and utterly human. They both always stuck to their conscience even when it wasn’t the easiest choice. I loved the alternating narrators. I will definitely seek out more of Graham’s books.

Courtesy of Netgalley I received the ARC of Letters Across the Sea by Genevieve Graham. This impressive historical novel starts with the Depression and reveals the religious intolerance prevalent in Toronto then. Following the background of Irish and Jewish neighbors, romance blossoms between Molly, who becomes a journalist, and Max, following a medical career. WWII looms and Max, along with Molly's brothers, enlists in the military. Bring totally unaware of the Battle of Hong Kong, and the harrowing atrocities that followed, I learned so much from this well researched emotional book.

Toronto, Canada. 1933. The buildup to WWII was more rapid in Canada than in the US due to their connection to Great Britain. This interesting historical novel intersperses the lives of two families, the Dreyfuses, a wealthy Jewish family with a son Max and a daughter, Hannah and their best friends across the street: daughter Molly and her 4 brothers, the children of the Irish police officer Ryan and his wife. The story starts during the Depression. Like Europe, there is a rise in anti-Semitism in Canada, with Swastika clubs and "No Jews allowed" signs in windows. The unrest gradually builds to a riot between Jews and non-Jews and a break between the families.
Several years pass as the war drags on with large chunks of time between distinctly different sections. Max and Molly's stories are told in alternating first person narration.
Injustices of War are explored by contrasting the treatments of Prisoners of War by the Canadians, the Japanese and the Germans. Canadian citizens of Japanese descent are confined to Internment camps. Young men return from the War with varying degrees of PTSD and with physical and emotional wounds.
This book was hard to read at times, emotionally draining, but I learned from it. The author provides a useful reading guide for bookclubs and an afterward which discusses her motivation for writing this book, which is based on true events.
I received a free copy of this book at no charge from Netgalley and the author, but all opinions are my own.

Letters Across the Sea is a historical novel set during the 1930's. It is the story of Molly Ryan, her friend Hannah Dreyfus, and Hannah's brother, Max. The setting is during the Christie Pits Riot in Toronto in 1933, which I was not familiar with.

I wanted to read this novel because I was interested in learning more about the time period and the setting. This novel was rich in historical detail. It was so well written that I feel I learned some history through reading fiction.

I recommend Letters Across the Sea for fans of historical fiction, and especially anyone interested in the days leading up to World War II.

Heartbreaking Ww2 novel about something I never knew! Usually these books focus on Germany but this takes place in Canada if all places! Definitely read!

Historical fiction is at its best when offering insight into little known events. Toronto’s history included the Christie Pits riots, little known even to Canadians, where the anti-Semitism of the 19390s had its impact in Canada with Swastika clubs. Mollie and her family were Irish, while Max’s family was Jewish. Like star crossed lovers, Molly and Max grew up together and eventually fall in love against the backdrop of the riots. Also unknown to many was the experience of Canadian troops in Hong Kong as the Japanese invaded. In addition, a discussion of the role of media in challenging times echoes the concerns of today. Relevant and eye opening, the novel also tells of a deep love, between Molly and Max, and in their families. I highly recommend and thank NetGalley for the ARC.

I think what I enjoyed most about this book was Molly. She was part of a large Irish family, the only girl with a bunch of brothers. It was 1933, there was still a Depression and Molly had to leave school to help support her family. Their neighbors across the street were the Dreyfus family but when there was some tension against the Jews her father forbade her to be friends with them. Then the War started and Molly's brothers and Max Dreyfus enlisted. Molly's brothers were an important part of the story but not well defined and I had a hard time discerning who was who and I felt that Liam's and Jimmy's stores were something I would have liked to know more about rather than long descriptions of baseball games. Molly always found the good in people and was willing to take the risks and stick up for her friends. She eventually fulfilled her dream of finishing high school and going to school for journalism. Max was taken as a prisoner of war by the Japanese and lived his own personal hell. The book was told from Molly's and Max's points of view. I enjoyed the story and thought it was well researched but it seemed to be slow in parts.

I always get a kick out of discovering where the title of the book came from. In this case I'm not sure. There was only one letter that seemed really important. I was expecting there to be a lot more correspondence.

Thank you to Netgalley and Simon and Schuster for providing me with a copy of this book.

Having read and absolutely loved The Forgotten Home Child I have been eager to read Letters Across the Sea. Another fascinating read making little known history come to life. I so appreciate authors that are able to weave a story with historical facts and Genevieve Graham has mastered that easily. She has an incredible ability to create characters who seemingly walk off the pages of the book and come to life before your eyes. Molly and Max, two young teens whose families have grown up together in Canada are on the cusp of falling in love while the world seemingly falls apart around them in the years leading up to World War 2. The anti- Semitism in Canada was portrayed so clearly through the eyes of Molly, Max, and their families. The depiction of the Christie Pits Riot was bone chilling to read and certainly had a devastating impact on Molly and Max and their families.
Canadian soldiers with very little training were brutally massacred in Hong Kong. Reading the author’s notes at the end of the book really clarified the stupidity of the entire engagement - these young soldiers were sent to be slaughtered. I had read about the Japanese prison camps in other books, but knowing dear Max was there really broke my heart.
The story is told by both Max and Molly as they both weather the depression and the war. Their revelations will make you smile and laugh, and also make you cry. You will grow to love them as much as I did.
The most riveting feature of this incredible read are the author’s notes, which include photographs and maps. Once I read them I was so tempted to reread the book with my newly gained knowledge. I do find this to be one of the drawbacks to reading books on a kindle.
Genevieve Graham you are an extremely gifted author and I applaud your expertise with your efforts to bring history to life. Many many thanks to you, Simon and Schuster, and NetGalley for affording me the pleasure of reading an arc of this riveting read just published on April 27th.

Letters Across the Sea is a story about the hardships experienced for Canadians both fighting in unfamiliar lands and those who stayed behind. The novel follows Molly, a girl who dreams of one day becoming a journalist, but is doing whatever she can to provide for her family during the Depression, and Max, a Jewish boy dreaming of being a doctor, but enlisted to serve his country. With tensions raised because of discrimination against Jews and suffering caused by the Depression, many families are struggling to find enough food to eat, jobs, and a sense of belonging.

Graham introduces readers to a battle fought in WW2 that many are not familiar with. I’m a big WW2 history buff, but I have never heard of this devastating battle, possibly because it consisted of Canadian troops. This novel spurred me wanting to research other countries’ battles in wars that the United States was involved in. I believe that sometimes we are only shown the side of history that may not necessarily hold the full story. Who knew how involved the Canadians were? Not me!

The historical aspect displayed by Graham shows an interesting side to WW2 that is very rarely mentioned when WW2 discussion is involved: the treatment of certain groups of people back home. Anti-Semitism is not only present in Germany, but many other countries. While everyone can give their lives to help with the war, the people back home have a hard time accepting one another because of differences. Protests are not usually mentioned with WW2, but many people were wanting the right to heard and treated the same as everyone else, whether it be with getting a job, being able to enter establishments, or anything we take for granted.

While the story was predictable, this was such a fun and fast read! I felt like I was living my past life / the life I want (haha). Readers who love romance with a historical twist will love this novel.

Letters Across the Sea is a story of two completely different people who find themselves finding love in the most unlikely of places, especially when it seems like everything and everyone is trying to tear them apart. Basham expertly weaves together the past and later in a story of love, diversity, and the power of forgiveness.

1933 Toronto, Canada
Lots of books available about World War II but this is a bit unique, we have the Canadian view of the Great Depression, the local supporters of Hitler and the Nazi regime, also experience the rising friction between the Jewish and the Irish population
Canada gets into World War II and some of the main character are fighting the Japanese and ending as prisoners of war. The story centers on Molly Ryan who through determination and hard work fulfils her dream against all odds of becoming a journalist.
I will not tell you anymore about the story because I want you to read the book.
The author did a great job in telling the story and even in some ways this is rather a hard subject to describe it ended up a smooth read that probably gives you a lot of new information of that time period that you might not have been aware off.

Historical Fiction is one of my least read genres and with that said this book was enjoyable.
I liked how it was told in different points of view as well as the Canadian side of things. I did enjoy the love story that was added in. The characters were enjoyable as well.
I will say that I felt it was a little slow at times and didn’t always keep my attention. But overall a good story.

Historical fiction is one of my favorite genres, so when I saw this one on NetGalley I jumped at the chance of reviewing it, and I was not disappointed!

It is written in two different perspectives – Molly in the first person and Max in the third person. This added such depth to the story and made it more well-rounded. It helped me care about both of these characters and their families much more. It also made their relationship more pure since both characters had nothing but love in their minds for each other. There was no guessing as to why certain things happened or why one character acted one way versus another way. This was refreshing because I don’t like second guessing things when it comes to romance. Mysteries? Sure. Thrillers? Absolutely! Let’s play the guessing game! Romance? No thank you. If two characters are in love or have the potential to be in love, I don’t need to play head games and try to guess if one truly loves the other or not.

The characters themselves were very well-developed. I felt like I knew Molly and Max so well and even their siblings somewhat. It made me feel connected to them. They are both strong, kind, and sweet characters that it was hard not to love them both!

The war scenes were so sad and very easy to visualize. I actually never thought of Canada’s involvement in WWII and how there were many people who were affected by antisemitism. So sad…I also did not know about the riot that took place or the fact that a hospital was attacked by the Japanese soldiers across the sea. My jaw dropped to learn this new piece of information and my heart was filled with sadness to visualize the poor injured men who were killed and/or led to their deaths without even given the chance to fight, even after a surrender white flag was waved. My heart goes out to them and their families…

I also appreciated the inclusion of how PTSD could affect people differently. No two people are alike so how soldiers dealt with returning home after witnessing such horrific events also varies. The readers see how Max was affected, but also Molly’s brothers. They all had physical, mental, and emotional scars that take time to heal.

If there was an aspect that I would think needs some improvement is the letters that were sent across the sea. Though I felt there were enough letters being sent back and forth, it didn’t seem to be the primary focus of the whole story. Therefore, the title seems a bit off. However, this is just a nit-picky type of point. It didn’t take away from my enjoyment of the novel at all.

Overall, I loved everything about this read and feel grateful to have read it. I would highly recommend this read to those who enjoy historical fiction about WWII and who enjoy reading about a sweet and kind romance that is woven into the text.

I enjoy historical fiction and Letter Across the Sea was a captivating story. The glimpse into how the war affected our Canadian neighbors shows how far this terrible war truly spread its web across the world. I was taken aback at the way lifelong friendships were impacted not only by anti-antisemitism but also political ideology.

The book starts out during the Great Depression leading up to the war. Growing up my parents spoke of the depression. Their sacrifices led to lifelong habits where nothing was wasted, especially food. Reading the accounts written by Genevieve Graham brought their plight to life.

This story is not about victory gardens and ration books. The harsh realities of Max and Molly's story and the aftermath of the riots in Toronto are compelling. Letters Across the Sea is one of those memorable books that lingers long after it is been closed. The characters are rich with the life they bring to the story. They are heroic whether they fought in a battle facing death, wasted away in a P.O.W. camp constantly under duress or writing of the war and the conditions it leaves the world.

I appreciate the new perspective this book has given me. Many thanks to #NetGalley for the opportunity to read this book. My opinions are mine

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for an eAR C of this book.
Billed as historical fiction but really more a love story though the historical backstory is well researched and interesting. I had not read anything from the Canadian point of view so this was informative. Enjoyed the characters who were compelling and believable.

Genevieve Graham is known for writing historical fiction about little known events in Canadian history. The two main characters are Molly who is Protestant and Max who is Jewish. The children of both families and their parents have been friends for years. Then everything starts to change. Letters Across the Sea is about anti-semitism and events leading up to WWII Such a vivid description of the Battle of Hong Kong, POW's and the crippling effects the war had on men long after they came home. The characters really stay with you long after you finish this book. I highly recommend! Thank you NetGalley for an early copy!