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! 🫶🏻

This one started out much slower for me than previous books by Graham. And it took me awhile to get into the story. But I'm glad I stuck it through. Once we got to Part 3 I was fully engaged as the action started to pick up.

Set during the 1960's in the time of the Vietnam war, Graham uses her trademark style to shine a spotlight on Canadian involvement in world events. She achieves this in "On Isabella Street" via our main characters Marion, Sassy, Daniel, and Davey. Each highlighting a different cultural aspect of the times. With Marion moving from my least liked character at the beginning of the novel to my favorite by the end. She made great personal strides and it was a pleasure to watch her growth. The book also touches on the difficult topic of deinstitutionalization. Not something you often see discussed. This is a story told in relationships versus events. That draws the emotions of the reader. Enhanced by the characters that make up the other residents of the apartment on Isabella street. Each bringing their own unique connection that ties everyone together in such a beautiful way.

As always, you can see the dedication and research that Graham puts into developing her story, as evidenced in the authors notes at the end of the book. Which I always advice people to read.

TW's: war, POWs, deinstitutionalization, mental health, PTSD, alcohol abuse, homelessness

So vvidly written with extremely well researched detail reading On Isabella Street was like entering a 1960's time capsule. The sounds, the subculture, the attitude and atmosphere are totally "groovy", landing the reader right in 1967 Toronto.

Two very different women, living in the same building, strike up a lasting friendship during the turbulent 1960's. I loved the way freespirited Sassy and serious Marion became friends and the sense of community they shared with their neighbours. I love well developed side characters, and there is no shortage of them, including Daniel, a Vietnam Vet, who happens to be the son of Grace and Rudy in an earlier Genevieve Graham book, Come From Away.

I loved learning about the hippie movement, draft dodgers/war resisters, and the music of the 1960's from Sassy. On the serious side, Marion is an intelligent doctor who brings to light the history of mental care and its subsequent deinstitutionalization that saw vulnerable and potentially dangerous patients left without care. I was so interested in this history that I ended up doing my own research while reading this one. It was interesting, and Graham has it all spot on! I never skip her notes as there is so much good information and resources.

With every Genevieve Graham book, I am left with strong emotions, and often, there are tears. On Isabella Street was no different, but I'm glad to say they were happy tears this time. The ending was beautiful and so satisfying. I loved this book and will recommend it to everyone.

This book is special. I enjoyed it so much. Genevieve Graham is so thorough in her research. Definitely a 5 stars and one I will be thinking about for a long time to come.

I always look forward to a book by Canadian author Genevieve Graham. Her stories have heart, and she puts a lot of time into her research which means I know I'll get an entertaining story and come away knowing more about Canadian history.

In her upcoming book On Isabella Street, Graham tackles the turbulent 60's - a time of counterculture, the Vietnam War, and deinstitutionalization of mental patients and its direct impact on the increase in homelessness on Toronto streets.

The story is set around two women - Marian Hart, a psychiatrist who lives a quiet life. She is a rule follower and is adamant that the hospital where she works is making a big mistake by releasing its patients struggling with their mental health (and PTSD) onto the streets.

Sassy Rankin is a privileged 20-something hippy folk singer who is part of the counterculture and desperately misses her brother who is fighting in Vietnam. The only things these two women have in common is where they live - 105 Isabella Street in the Church-Wellesley area of Toronto and their devotion to the causes they each hold dear.

Graham covers a lot of historical ground, and the story is filled with many interesting historical tidbits - many of which readers may not know. Readers are also given a vividly described landscape - from what Toronto was like in the 60's, to the impact of PTSD on returning veterans and how poorly they were treated upon their return, women's rights and their roles in war, and the civil unrest of the era.

The story flows easily and the pages turning quickly in this 430-page book. The connections between characters and the way the plot rolls out are delightfully serendipitous and readers will be glued to the pages of this powerful and evocative story that covers a lot of personal and historical elements.

You can be certain that Graham will immerse you in the era, entertain you and teach you in equal measure. And despite the serious themes, ultimately this is an uplifting story about family, friendship, hope, tenacity, healing and discovering your path in a very uncertain world.

Preorder this book for its April 22, 2025 release date!

Disclaimer: My sincere thanks to Simon and Schuster Canada for the complimentary advanced digital and print copies which were given in exchange for my honest review.

** This review was posted on March 22, 2025 on my blog, socials (IG, FB), GoodReads, StoryGraph and Indigo.ca.

Thank you to Simon and Schuster for the digital arc.
I love anything Genevieve writes but this is hands down my favourite from her.
With her books you not only learn something new but there is always a love story of some sort which I love, it makes the not so light topics feel lighter.

Not only is it not WW2 but it’s also the effects people experience post war. I loved the representation of mental illness and how it looks different for everyone even if they were at the same place at the same time.

Book Review
On Isabella Street by Genevieve Graham

What Its Got
Multiple POV
Feminist movement
Anti war movement
Deinstitutionalization, mental health
Homelessness/ housing insecurity
PTSD
Vietnam war, veterans
Women in medicine
Found family

MCs
Marion- Dr, Psychiatrist, single woman, brother (Joey) has gone to Vietnam
Sassy aka Susan- single, wants to be a singer, daddys girl , office secretary
** they are complete opposites whose circumstances draw them together in an unexpected friendship

Secondary Characters
** these individuals were the highlight for me, the community on Isabella street, they all show up for eachother and they have all had an impact on their neighbours lives whether they know it or not

Thoughts
📕 Reading about Toronto, the places, the people, the music makes me feel soo much more connected to the lives of Marion and Sassy- would I feel the same if the book tooke place in US somewhere- nope, not at all
📕 There are loads of triggers and sensitive topics ( war, PTSD, desinstitutionalization ) described however there is more focus on the impact these experiences had on Marion, Sassy, and their relationships with friends and families
📕 I enjoyed the personal growth and self discovery our MCs go through, their intertwined lives and experiences shape the people they become and by the end of the book they are changed
📕A slower start to this one, but midway through the pace picks up and the last quarter flew by
📕 Be sure to read the end notes, Genevieve is meticulous in her research and I always enjoy reading how her stories evolve

Overall
Graham continues to consistently delve into Canadian history by drawing from real life experiences and places to create stories that give readers an opportunity to to empathize, learn, and gain a better understanding of the past

Thanks to @simonandschusterca and the author for my ARC in return for an honest review. Opinions expressed are my own.

Be prepared that when you pick up a Genevieve Graham novel, you are not going to want to put it down again! I was glued to the pages of On Isabella Street once I started. And exhausted by the time I finished it as I just could not even sleep until I knew the ending! Not to mention, I was stressed to the max as the tension at times is unyielding. The plot had me constantly on the edge of my seat. I thought my heart was going to burst. This is such a powerful story, possibly the author’s best yet (and that is saying something as her previous are incredible). I always learn so much from reading Genevieve’s stories. She is an exceptional researcher on the topics she chooses to write about (or that choose her).

This novel covers a lot of territory, with no skimping on facts. The conversations and thoughts are quite in depth. Circling the topic of Canadians in the Vietnam war or the ‘Unknown Veterans, as they became known, is the fashion styles of the 60s, politics, free love, counterculture, drugs, music, protests and PTSD. We see through the characters’ lives all these things: making the topics more real. Also a big word that constantly surfaced was deinstitutionalization. We truly get to see it in action. This process was meant to end the horrors happening in psychiatric hospitals, by replacing long stays with less isolated community services. In the 1950s and 1960s this change led to many hospital closures (demonstrated in the story)..

Yet as we learned from the novel, it is one thing to shut down a system but something must take its place. There needs to be proper care arranged for the victims or they just end up on the street, homeless and a danger to themselves and others. On Isabella Street, an ideal solution is presented. We not only see the negative impact of what happens when these people are inside the padded four walls but also when they are released with nowhere to go. Thankfully the story does not end there. As eventually, through some caring individuals, proper support begins to happen. It certainly makes the heart sing to see positives rise out of the negatives!

As for the characters, they are all brilliant and I enjoyed each one. But what do you get when you put two very different women and two very different men together? Lots of drama but also some wondrous things too— for these opposites challenge each other in unexpected ways. Which leads to wonderful personal growth. I loved following these four. Hippie Sassy (Susan), Dr. Marion, real estate partner Tom and Vietnam veteran Daniel. What they bring to the story and to each other is priceless. When the Dr meets hippie singer Sassy, she is immediately pushed out of her comfort zone. Bold Sassy, daughter of a wealthy businessman, learns how the world works and that maybe things happen for a good reason. In her new job, she discovers she has skills she did not know she had. On a personal level, there are some firsts happening, too. She is surprised by her feelings for an older man who is very different from herself.

Then there is Veteran Daniel who is first attended by Dr. Marion in hospital. As she gets to know him, his fears and battles, she wants to help him recover from the past. Their relationship evolves and takes some very unexpected turns. Along with her friendship with Sassy, which leads her in a direction she would never have imagined.

There are numerous traumatic events and dramatic twists. I never felt so invested in a story with both my heart and head as I have with this one! Genevieve’s research skills are exceptional. But even more impressive is how she draws out the fine details from facts and utilises them brilliantly in her fiction. She captured and conveyed the startling reality of the past. She covered every plot angle and emotional expression imaginable. And the action experienced in the Vietnam setting was so real, that my heart pounded fiercely during some seriously frightening scenes! It was as if I was pulled into the pages of the book and thrust into the middle of the challenges. I was there and could feel everything the characters were going through. This is powerful writing!

I cannot stress enough that everyone who loves historical fiction should read this novel. I highly recommend it so please get a copy when it is released. This is a Must-Read of 2025. Many thanks to the author for writing On Isabella Street: an unforgettable magnificent story of courage, hope, friendship, love, loss and restoration. 5 Shining Stars ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Many thanks to the publisher Simon & Schuster Canada and Netgalley for the Arc.

Thank you to Simon & Schuster Canada for a physical ARC and netgalley for a e-version in exchange for my honest review.

Recommended for fans of 🇨🇦 Historical Fiction and Vietnam War Fiction.

This story follows the lives of Marion and Sassy, two women who have nothing in common except for the apartment building they live in, or so you think.

Marion is a Dr., in a Toronto mental hospital who worries about the long-term effects of deinstitutionalization.

Sassy is a hippie from a rich family, who is devasted when get brother Joey enlists to go to Vietnam.

I loved reading about Marion and Sassy’s lives and the twists and turns they both face. Author Genevieve Graham does a great job of weaving their stories together.

In Toronto in the 1960's women did not have many rights and mental health was a taboo topic. Marion was a strong, ambious women who wanted to move forward in the mental health field but she was faced with family challenges.

There is a reason Genevieve Graham is a favourite author of mine!!! She writes people so well and really does her research. Another 5⭐️ read by this author ❤️

As GG says in her author note (please do read it) “writing historical fiction is more than writing about history. It’s writing about human lives caught up in that history”.

And the best historical fiction novels have an easy way of writing with emotional pieces that the reader can connect on.

This is the story about 2 very different women and 2 very different men. The men might be secondary in the story but they’re an important piece to it all.

Sassy: a hippie with a real estate Mogul father who lives her life freely and is heart broken when her brother Joey signs up with the US marines to go to Vietnam.
Marion: a doctor who is on the front lines of another type of war: de-institutionalizations of mental health patients.

These two women find an unlikely friendship at their apartment complex on the streets of Toronto. Isabella Street has the sort of found family of characters that is so endearing to a reader. I loved the different voices and how they find a way to connect despite having very different views or experiences.

But beyond exploring mental health and after shocks of war, there are also the men of the story who bring another layer to it all. Tom who works with Sassy’s father. And Veteran Daniel who Marion meets on one of her rounds. Both of them are important to the FMC growth arcs.

From the streets of Toronto to war torn Vietnam, this book tackled a whole slew of topics and emotions… but none more front and centre than that of relationships: found family, friendship, family and love. It’s all in there waiting to unfold for all of us historical fiction readers.

Genevieve Graham is slowly unwrapping Canadian History in the most readable way

I really enjoyed this story about a time period I’ve not read much about, and certainly not from the perspective of Canadians’ involvement in Vietnam.

The book starts off slowly, building the two characters and making the reader feel like we know Sassy and Marion in their separate lives before they come together. The world of 60s-era Toronto is brought to life, with real details like a love-in with Buffy Saint Marie performing.

The second half of the book is where the plot really picks up. The characters are thrown deeper into the Vietnam conflict than you might expect, and they find themselves connected far more than they knew.

At the same time there are themes of mental illness and (what would now be known as) PTSD in veterans, along with the deinstitutionalization happening in psychiatric hospitals in Ontario at the time. This is interesting in a historical context and also in juxtaposition to the current process underway in Nova Scotia after the provincial human rights commission ruled that living in community is a human right. However this time it’s recognized that there needs to be support in place, they can’t just close the institutions and leave the folks to fend for themselves on the street.

A well written, clearly well-researched, evocative story.

I was given an advance copy of this book from the publisher. This is my honest review.

On Isabella Street is a gripping and compelling read that will captivate your undivided attention from the first to the last page.

My review simply can not do this book justice.

Yes I am Canadian and from Ontario but it is not just the setting: its the strong characters, the time frame of the book and learning more things about Canada and the Viet Nam War during the turbulent sixites.

We meet Sassy and Marion (opposite personalities) who both reside at Isabella Street.

Marion is a psychiatrist at the Onatrio Hospital in Toronto that is about to be deinstutionalized which will leave a lot of vunerable people at risk.

Sassy is a free spirit that loves her music and is proud to be part of the "hippie" movement. Her brother volunteered to fight in Viet Nam.

Genevieve Graham takes the reader on an emotional journey where I laughed with both girls, cried with both girls but most of all admired their tenacity and their friendship.

The author's note at the end of the book are just as fascinating and the photos are remarkable.

I truly hated this book to end and I cant wait for my hard copy to arrive for my book shelves.

On Isabella Street will no doubt be a Book Club pick across the country.

Thanks to NetGalley and Simon &Schuster Canada/Simon & Schuster for the privilege of reading and reviewing On Isabella Street.

Known for her stellar ability to breathe life into history one story at a time, Genevieve Graham brings the late 60s and 70s Canada into the spotlight for her readers.

In assembling the ingredients for her story, Graham has included counterculture lifestyle, deinstitutionalism, the Vietnam War, and American draft dodgers. Adding to this mix, she’s crafted four almost polar opposite characters and placed them together, showing how they influence and shape each other during this exciting yet confusing time in our nation’s history.

Graham’s spotlight on relationships really shines in this story. I was impressed with how the author highlighted relationships and their role in character development (in this case, they were the catalyst for change/finding oneself in this exploratory era), on shaping identity (women pushing social constraints/ intergenerational tensions/Canada’s stance on Vietnam War/girls challenging each other’s POV/as a result of tragedy), and on Canadian cultural diversity (power of shared experiences both socially and domestically). The end result is the impact on readers; my view of the hippy movement and our role in the Vietnam War has been shifted as a result.

The lens of this story has me reconsidering the impact of the counterculture lifestyle. I’ve shifted from the traditional ‘get a job’ mindset to seeing the benefits for our country that arose as a result of these changes. Where the American hippies were challenging Patriotism in the States, those in Canada were contributing to our nationalism, many spurred on by the American draft dodgers.

It was interesting to read about deinstitutionalism in Toronto. In my teenage years on the West Coast of Canada, I was very aware of the repercussions of the Riverview closure; many that are still felt today. Dr. Marion Hart and Daniel Neumann would have had a lot to say to our Social Credit government at the time!

With Buffy Sainte-Marie in our news at the moment, I was prompted to read about her formative years and her influence during that era, both on the page and in real life.

By putting Marion, Daniel, Buffy and Sassy under the spotlight, Graham has shown us that despite our differences (backgrounds, attitudes and aptitude) and despite an extreme movement (Counterculture) shifting our Canadian values, we can impact our country positively and become stronger in working together and (at least attempting to) understanding WHY we stand for our beliefs, ultimately journeying towards increased nationalism.

I was gifted this copy by Simon & Schuster Canada and NetGalley and was under no obligation to provide a review.

Genevieve Graham just continues to impress with her dedication to researching and bringing to life aspects of Canadian history that most of us have never been taught or heard about before. Her latest book is set in 1960s Canada and features Marion and Sassy, two completely opposite women living in the same Isabella Street apartment in downtown Toronto.

Where Marion is a straight-laced psychiatrist who works at the Ontario Hospital (formerly the Hospital for the Insane) at time just before the mass deinstutionalization of Canada's psychiatric patients leading to an uprising of untreated unhoused people left on their own without access to proper care or medications.

Sassy on the other hand, is an aspiring singer and proud part of the counterculture movement whose brother voluntarily went to fight in the Vietnam war. She struggles with being the daughter of a real estate magnate (himself a veteran of the Second World War).

Marion and Sassy eventually strike up a moving friendship that sees the two women growing in their own distinct ways, taking chances and standing up for the causes that are dear to them. While this book relies on a lot of (at times) unrealistic coincidences, it is also full of heart, friendship, found family and amazing mental health rep.

Readers are sure to learn lots, especially thanks to the detailed historical notes section included at the end of the book. There are also a lot of fun Easter eggs sprinkled throughout that are sure to delight those who have read Graham's previous novels. I have no doubt this will be a favorite book of 2025 for me and I highly recommend it for anyone who has read and loved Kristin Hannah's The women.

Huge thanks to NetGalley and Simon and Schuster Canada for an early digital copy in exchange for my honest review. To say I was eagerly waiting to get my hands on an eARC of On Isabella Street would be a gross understatement and it did NOT disappoint!!