Reviews

Letters Across the Sea by Genevieve Graham

louetta's review

4.0

Ths was very well written, based on true events. I learned a lot about the Canadian side of World War II that I didnt know existed. Talk of the issues with their Jewis hate crimes. I also had no idea about the Battle of Hong Kong and how it could have been prevented. I was touched and shocked at the story of the war prisoners.
4 stars

Thank you to NetGalley and the Author and publisher for a copy of this book. The Opinions expressed are my own.

alliepeduto's review

5.0

I decided this book deserved the full five stars, because it really opened my eyes to an aspect of WWII that I hadn’t known, and I love that! With the ever growing influx of WWII stories over the past decade, it’s refreshing to be shown something that not many people know, and the beauty of fiction allows us to examine how the events would affect us. These characters may not be real, but they examine forgotten historical events, and give us an access point to understanding that history.

I’ve long been a fan of historical fiction, mostly for the fact that it lends a voice to people who aren’t written about, and whose thoughts we may never know. This of course include women and people of color, as well as other marginalized communities. In this novel, I was particular drawn to the disparities in how the Jewish Canadian population was treated during the 1930s. It’s something I’m ashamed I hadn’t considered, and I’m grateful to the author for shining a light on things many would rather forget.

I can’t wait to read more of this author’s backlist, I know she tackles different historical time periods through a Canadian lens, and seeing as I hold my neighbor to the north in high regard, I am eager to see what else I can learn!

jaded618's review

4.0

Beautifully told story about Canadian soldiers in the war.

I love Genevieve's way of really bringing her characters to the page. Following both Molly and Max through the book gave you the perception of two sides dealing with the same issues.

Thank you Netgalley for a digital copy to review!!

pennyturnsthepage's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional hopeful informative inspiring sad tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.0

canadianbookaddict's review against another edition

5.0

I received a eARC of this book for my honest review.

I have been reading Genevieve Graham's books since 2015 and I have loved every book she has published. I have given all her books 5 out of 5 stars so of course, I couldn't wait to get my hand on Letters Across the Sea.

I started reading this book one night and I just couldn't stop reading. I love the story and the characters so much.

Genevieve Graham is such an excellent story writer and you can tell she does a lot of research for each book.


If you are into Historical Fiction/Historical Romance then I do highly recommend this book. If you like Canadian Historical Fiction I do recommend this book.

heidirgorecki's review against another edition

5.0

Well written and such a great new (to me) aspect of WW2 that I’d never heard of. I’ve read a lot on the subject but this is the first that I’ve read from the viewpoint of Canadians in the war, being stationed in Hong Kong and some of the POW stories. It also spoke to a large infiltration of Nazi agenda and anti-semitism in Canada at the time. I had no idea Nazi-ism had come so close to home in the ‘30s. Really enjoyed this book.

Thank you to Netgalley for the advanced copy of this book in exchange for my review.

rachaeljk's review

challenging dark emotional hopeful informative inspiring reflective sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

5.0

blightedstars's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional informative mysterious reflective sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.0

heatherhazereads's review against another edition

5.0

1933, Toronto Canda. Molly Ryan and Hannah Dreyfus are not only best friends, they are practically family. Their brothers are tight, their parents close. Both families continue trying to watch over each other amidst the lingering clutches of the Great Depression. That is until Hitler comes into power and sends shockwaves that deliver crushing blows to millions, including these two families, Protestant against Jewish when before that hardly mattered. Now divided by a terrible event that not only drives their families apart, but pushes the boys into a cruel and unforgiving war overseas.

I absolutely adored this book! I never have read a WWII book set in Canada and later Hong Kong. I learned a tremendous amount of history that I had never known about before. The author's vivid and striking descriptions of the war scenes had me right there suffering alongside their horrific battles. I was captivated by the social conflicts on the homefront, the fragile relationships broken and damaged by the political unrest, the heart breaking love story. I swear this book had it all.

A great big thank you to Netgalley for the opportunity to get lost in this fantastic book. I highly recommend for fans of WWII historical fiction, especially those looking for a different setting than typically found in this genre. Extremely well done!

immielester's review

emotional informative reflective sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.0