Latest news with #OnIsabellaStreet
Winnipeg Free Press
24-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Winnipeg Free Press
War, friendship and mental health at core of Graham's historical fiction
If you grew up in Canada in the 1960s, you'll likely enjoy Genevieve Graham's latest novel, set in Toronto and Vietnam during that time period. And even if you didn't, fans of historical fiction will likely be entertained. Graham, who lives in Alberta, is the bestselling author of 12 works of historical fiction. She focuses mostly on Canada, often turning up little tidbits of lesser-known history. On Isabella Street spotlights two women who are polar opposites in character and who are strangers at the novel's outset. The two accidentally meet, and discover they live on the same floor of an apartment building on Isabella Street in downtown Toronto. A long-lasting friendship develops between the two. On Isabella Street Sassy is a young woman who aspires to be a folk musician, is full of life and loves the hippie lifestyle. Marion, a psychiatrist at an Ontario mental hospital, is about 10 years older, quiet and reserved. Beyond the two main characters, in On Isabella Street Graham tackles the Vietnam War, the '60s culture, women's rights, deinstitutionalization (the closing down of mental hospitals and replacing them with small community centres), the devastating mental and physical effects of war, homelessness and more. Marion meets Daniel, a patient at the mental hospital where she works, who has lost an eye and has other physical injuries from the war; he also suffers mentally. Although he is basically a caring and thoughtful man, the war has made Daniel very aggressive. Marion treats Daniel and tries to help him with what would now likely be termed post traumatic stress disorder. In doing so, she becomes intrigued by this handsome, brave and difficult-to-reach veteran. She is also angered by the government's plans for deinstitutionalization, and is especially worried about her patients, some of whom are veterans and have nobody to support them. She fears they will end up homeless. With nothing to eat and nowhere to sleep, Marion worries the vets won't be able to remember to take their medications. She prophesizes that some may be forced to turn to crime as a way to survive, and fears there will be more violence on the streets — which, tragically, becomes a reality. Both Marion and Sassy have such a strong relationship that they influence and shape each other's personalities. Calm, reserved Marion becomes more like brave and energetic Sassy, and Sassy in turn becomes more like Marion. Some of these changes seem a tad hard to believe. Weekly A weekly look at what's happening in Winnipeg's arts and entertainment scene. Much of the novel focuses on the Vietnam War, as Sassy's younger brother Joey, who is Canadian, signs up with the U.S. Marines. Sassy is devastated that he is fighting and doesn't believe in war. Their father, himself a Second World War veteran, is equally torn apart. As usual, Graham has done a lot of research; the reader may often find they are learning something new about this period of Canadian history that they did not know before. Graham shows how returning veterans were treated terribly upon their return to Canada, and that many suffered a myriad of mental issues. Marion's father struggles with his own demons from having served in the war. Graham includes research notes and interesting historical information at the end of On Isabella Street, while the novel generally uses uncomplicated language, making it a very easy read. With a focus on courage, friendships and the men in Marion and Sassy's lives, the connections between the pair and the other residents of Isabella Street all come out at the end, making Graham's story a heartwarming, uplifting and ultimately rewarding read. Cheryl Girard is an Interlake writer.
CTV News
06-05-2025
- Entertainment
- CTV News
Author Genevieve Graham discusses her newest book
Author Genevieve Graham discusses her newest book Author Genevieve Graham joins Ian White to discuss 'On Isabella Street,' her newest novel.
CTV News
05-05-2025
- Entertainment
- CTV News
Author Genevive Graham discusses her newest book
Author Genevive Graham discusses her newest book Author Genevive Graham joins Ian White to discuss 'On Isabella Street,' her newest novel.
CBC
01-05-2025
- Entertainment
- CBC
On Isabella Street by Genevieve Graham
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.
