This is part of my Summer Reads series where I’ll be sharing book recommendations – a series of “not just cookbooks”.
This week’s Summer Reads pick is from a favourite Canadian author, Genevieve Graham, whose book, The Secret Keeper, was a pick last summer.
From the publisher:
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.
Sassy Rankin, a budding folk singer and carefree hippy from a privileged family, joins protests over the Vietnam War and is devastated that her brother chose to join the US Marines. At the same time, she must deal with the truth that her comfortable life is financed by her father, a real estate magnate bent on gentrifying the city, making it unaffordable for many of her friends.
The strength of their unlikely friendship means that when one grapples with a catastrophic event, the other must do all she can to make it right.
Inspired by the unfettered optimism and crushing disillusionment of the sixties, On Isabella Street is an extraordinary novel about the enduring bonds of friendship and family and the devastating cost of war.
I absolutely adored this book and couldn’t stop reading. I loved that it was set in Toronto in an era that I hadn’t known; it’s always interesting to look back and compare and contrast, especially when the issues that were very present in the ’60s are still huge issues today.
The basic premise is an unlikely friendship between Sassy and Marion, who turn out to have a whole lot more in common than just the address they share. This coincidence is just the start of the story. The setting is a politically and culturally turbulent time for Toronto, where the deinstitutionalisation of mental health services in favour of community health services (and its direct impact on homelessness) is set against the backdrop of the Vietnam War and the impact of the war on those who fought (PTSD).
Graham paints a vivid picture of society in the late 60s and early 70s in Toronto – from the music and culture to free love and the rise of the women’s rights movement, she brings you right back to the time, immersing you in the characters and their lifestyles, delightfully entwining seemingly separate plots in a seamless way that will have you gasp as they merge.
This is a story of friendship, hope, courage, love and family. It’s very well-written (extremely well-researched) so that, despite its length (400+ pages), you’ll fly through it. You’ll care about the characters and love getting to know them. You’ll be cheering for the underdogs and laughing and crying with the protagonists. Just an EXCELLENT READ.
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Disclosure: I received an advance copy from Simon & Schuster Canada in exchange for an honest review. I am not receiving any compensation for reviewing the book. Neither the author nor the publisher reviewed this post prior to publication. All opinions are my own.
Buy On Isabella Street on Amazon (this affiliate link should bring you to the Amazon store in, or closest to, your country).
For free worldwide shipping, find On Isabella Street on Blackwell’s.
Support your local Indie bookstore and purchase On Isabella Street on Bookshop.org.
Please note: This post contains affiliate links. I am a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites. This post also contains affiliate links for Blackwell’s and Bookshop.org. This means that if you click over and purchase something, I will receive a very small percentage of the purchase price (at no extra cost to you). Thank you in advance!
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