# Genevieve Graham

> Breathing Life Into History One Story At A Time


## Posts

- [The Double Life of Eve Sinclair](https://genevievegraham.com/the-double-life-of-eve-sinclair/): No one writes spies, adventure, and heart-pounding history like C.C. Humphreys. His research dazzles, his storytelling Immerses. As with every one of his novels, this World War II tale of courage, chaos, and aching romance will leave you breathless. To buy: https://www.penguinrandomhouse.ca/books/775955/the-double-life-of-eve-sinclair-by-cc-humphreys/9780385701075  
- [The Shock of the Light](https://genevievegraham.com/shock-of-the-light/): Easily one of the best books I have read. Beautifully written and achingly human, The Shock of the Light is a novel of courage, sacrifice, and devastating secrets that echo across generations. At its heart is the fierce, unbreakable bond between a brother and sister—one that unearths a shameful, buried history of the SOE and reveals the unbearable price it demanded. At once intimate and epic, this unforgettable debut will astonish readers, break their hearts, and open their eyes. To buy: https://www.penguinrandomhouse.ca/books/768665/the-shock-of-the-light-by-lori-inglis-hall/9780735250819
- [Weyward](https://genevievegraham.com/weyward/): “Weyward” is a fascinating THREE-TIMELINE tale of three women: three lives, three stories, and one ending to bring everything together! They are all from different times: 1619, 1942, 2019, and their stories follow a similar path but in completely different ways. Blocked from their natural, magical gifts by cruel, even brutal methods, they must fight back in their own way to be true to who they really are. I did worry the three stories would never come together, and when they did it might be too “convenient”, but no! Ms Hart (a debut author) worked her own magic to pull […]
- [The Secret Lives of Murderers' Wives](https://genevievegraham.com/secret-lives-of-murderers-wives/): “The Secret Lives of Murderers’ Wives” is a dark, twist-filled tale of betrayal, resilience, and the power of three women who refuse to be victims. Miss Arnott is a masterful writer—full of secrets, suspense, and stunning surprises. Elizabeth Arnott is also known as Lizzie Pook, and you’ve seen her dark historicals on my list of favourites!! To buy: https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/776457/the-secret-lives-of-murderers-wives-by-elizabeth-arnott/  
- [WW2 Playlist](https://genevievegraham.com/ww2-playlist/): I cannot imagine how difficult it must be, living through a war. Whether you were in the middle of the conflict or watching – and waiting – from the sidelines, music must have been such a comfort. Here’s a partial list of some of the hits:
- [Air Transport Auxiliary - Canadians!](https://genevievegraham.com/air-transport-auxiliary-canadians/): The Air Transport Auxiliary: “Anything to Anywhere”  During my research for “The Secret Keeper” I was very fortunate to connect with some wonderfully generous archivists at the Maidenhead Heritage Centre in England, and their insights and contributions were the reasons I was able to bring Dash’s adventure to life. The Air Transport Auxiliary (ATA) was a civilian organization founded at the outbreak of World War II, tasked with ferrying damaged or repaired or replacement airplanes, as well as mail, soldiers, equipment, whatever and wherever required. “Anything to Anywhere”. Over 1320 men and women joined the ATA from 25 different countries, ferrying […]
- [Funny Story](https://genevievegraham.com/funny-story/): A friend of mine recommended this as a change of pace for me, and I’m so glad I grabbed it. I told her I wasn’t looking for depressing/angry/too much sex/unsatisfying, etc and this was perfect. I hadn’t read anything by Emily Henry before, and I’m going to rectify that right away. To buy: https://www.amazon.ca/Funny-Story-Emily-Henry/dp/0593441281
- [Expiration Dates](https://genevievegraham.com/expiration-dates/): I needed something light to ‘cleanse my palate’, as they say, between writing a bunch of serious stuff, and I remembered loving “In Five Years” before, so I picked this up and got so much more. Sweet sweet story with an ending I never could have predicted – and it was far better than one I would have thought of myself. Thank you, Rebecca. Looking forward to the next one … I read that Acknowledgements page, so I know it’s coming … To buy https://www.simonandschuster.ca/books/Expiration-Dates/Rebecca-Serle/9781668056165
- [Elsie MacGill](https://genevievegraham.com/elsie-macgill/): Dot and Dash Wilson were two fictional WW2 heroes from Canada, but there were real ones as well. Elsie MacGill was an amazing woman, and she deserved her own little page here.   Elizabeth Muriel MacGill, nicknamed “Elsie”, a.k.a. the “Queen of the Hurricanes” was born in 1905 in Vancouver, BC (Canada) and was the first woman to ever be admitted to the University of Toronto’s engineering programme. After graduation in 1927, Elsie became the first woman in Canada to graduate with a degree in electrical engineering. In 1929, she earned a master’s degree in aeronautical engineering from the University […]
- [Kiyoko](https://genevievegraham.com/kiyoko/):   In the first version of The Secret Keeper, Dash had a good friend named Kiyoko Sasaki, a Japanese Canadian whose family was experiencing the nightmare of the internment camps.   “Hey, Dash!” Kiyoko Sasaki, one of her best friends, appeared before her in a sweet blue dress speckled with white flowers, and Gus took a step back. “I’m so glad you’re here!” “I’ll find you later,” Gus promised, heading off into the crowd as Kiyoko joined Dash. Kiyoko’s father had fought in the last war, and until recently he had been a successful businessman of some kind, which was […]
- [Dash meets Joseph (who didn't make the cut eventually)](https://genevievegraham.com/dash-meets-joseph/): This is a pretty long section – really, it’s a bunch of pieces that I have stitched together to make them work. There might be a few things that don’t add up. I apologize for those.  I knew from the beginning that Dash was the beautiful, vivacious sister, always happy to socialize, and a big fan of dancing, so I sent her, Dot, and Gus to Toronto’s Palais Royale for a special dance before Gus was to set off to training exercises. That’s where Dash meets a dashing young man named Joseph Morrison, who seemed fascinated with her. As time […]
- [Gus enlists](https://genevievegraham.com/gus-enlists/): I loved getting to know Gus, though my picture of him changed many times during the various directions this book went. One of the things that readers have said since the book was published was that “I need more Gus”, and to be honest, so did I. The original draft had a lot more of him, and going through these deleted scenes is fun for me.     “Hey, there’s Gus,” Dash said, a smile in her voice. Their old friend stood at the end of his father’s yard, hands sunk deep in his trouser pockets as he watched the […]
- [Dash first hears about Elsie MacGill](https://genevievegraham.com/dash-first-hears-about-elsie-macgill/): When I first started writing The Secret Keeper, Gus had not yet enlisted. He and Dash worked together on cars. This was my original introduction of Elsie MacGill, who you know about from the final version of The Secret Keeper. I loved writing about Dash and Gus together. In fact, for a long time I imagined him with Dash, not Dot. They had great communication between them, and until I met Jack, I thought Gus might be the only one able to capture her heart.      Dash stuck her head back under the hood, looking around, then felt Gus […]
- [Camp X](https://genevievegraham.com/camp-x/): Camp X was Canada’s top secret, paramilitary training school, the only one of its kind in North America. Prime Minister Winston Churchill and others in Britain’s SOE (Special Operations Executive), recognized early on that covert communication and solid intelligence were the only way they’d win the war, so Churchill directed the SOE to build something that would “set Europe ablaze”. That led to Camp X’s creation. There, they taught sabotage and subversion behind enemy lines, they recruited and trained resistance fighters, and they found safe routes to help downed Allied pilots or escaped POWs get home. The camp’s vast 275 […]
- [The End and the Beginning](https://genevievegraham.com/the-end-and-the-beginning/): Based on the true account of a young boy’s courageous escape from service in the Nazis’ last chance militia, The End and the Beginning is a haunting but beautiful story of friendship and loyalty, of laughter between tears, and of a steadfast trust in survival based on childhood innocence. The prose is poetry, the imagery crystal, the truth unimaginable. COMING NOV 2024 – Preorder here: https://www.simonandschuster.ca/books/The-End-and-the-Beginning/K-J-Holdom/9781668045398
- [The Women](https://genevievegraham.com/the-women/): This book is what historical fiction is meant to be. As usual, Kristin Hannah’s incredible skills are on full display: her research is impeccable, but her true gift is in bringing that past alive through very real, compelling stories and characters I will never forget. The Women of Vietnam deserved this kind of heartfelt, heartbreaking, acknowledgment and respect. We see you. There WERE women in Vietnam, and thank goodness we have finally come to a place in history that we can hold them up for the heroes they were. Thank you, Kristin, for an incredible journey. To buy on Amazon.ca: […]
- [Maude Horton's Glorious Revenge](https://genevievegraham.com/maude-hortons-glorious-revenge/): Lizzie Pook’s glorious dark, gritty writing, and her amazing ability to create unforgettable and deliciously evocative descriptions will always put her books on my To-Keep shelf. Maude Horton’s Glorious Revenge had me hooked from page 1, and Maude and her sister held me tight through the whole book and both of their incredible adventures. Not for the weak of the heart, but awesome for readers who want no punches held back – like me. 5 STARS To buy: https://www.simonandschuster.ca/books/Maude-Hortons-Glorious-Revenge/Lizzie-Pook/9781982181994
- [Bonfire Night](https://genevievegraham.com/bonfire-night-2/): Bonfire Night is a powerful, poignant debut written with the skill of a master. Ms Bliss’s perfectly flawed characters and exceptional research led me on a rich, multi-layered journey of love, betrayal, heartbreak, and most compelling of all, a burning search for freedom within the raging fires of war. To buy on Amazon.ca: https://www.amazon.ca/gp/product/1496747348/ref=x_gr_bb_amazon?ie=UTF8&tag=x_gr_bb_amazon_ca-20&linkCode=as2&camp=15121&creative=330641
- [Unrest](https://genevievegraham.com/unrest/): Timid and broken, Mariah lives a half life, beaten lower by every glance she is given. When tragedy turns her bleak world upside down, she seizes the opportunity to change everything and claim the missing half, though it will demand everything she has and more. Meticulously researched and exquisitely written, “Unrest” is unapologetic in its starkly vivid depiction of Upper Canada’s frozen wilderness and the people who survived within it. A marvellous debut. To buy on Amazon.ca: https://www.amazon.ca/Unrest-Gwen-Tuinman-ebook/dp/B0CF169ZT6/ref=sr_1_1?crid=KR8CBNRTZ85R&keywords=unrest+gwen+tuinman&qid=1706459268&s=books&sprefix=unrest+g%2Cstripbooks%2C199&sr=1-1
- [The Last Secret](https://genevievegraham.com/the-last-secret/): An extraordinarily powerful novel cinematically weaving one gripping layer into the next. From the frozen hellscape of Eastern Europe during WW2 to the lush green of Salt Spring Island, Canada, THE LAST SECRET delivers a thrilling story of survival and love that held me spellbound throughout. Brava, Ms Caron! An easy five stars. COMING SEPTEMBER 2024 – PREORDER TODAY! To buy: https://www.penguinrandomhouse.ca/books/725012/the-last-secret-by-maia-caron/9780385688826
- [The Black Crescent](https://genevievegraham.com/the-black-crescent/): Master storyteller Jane Johnson takes the reader on a fascinating journey through one man’s extraordinary life, his adventures and self-discoveries, and the irresistible cat by his side. A unique, captivating tale that held me spellbound throughout. To buy on Amazon.ca: https://www.amazon.ca/Black-Crescent-Jane-Johnson-ebook/dp/B0C7RQTHND/ref=sr_1_1?crid=2TIS0LYOK25TK&keywords=the+black+crescent+jane&qid=1706459923&s=books&sprefix=the+black+crescent+jan%2Cstripbooks%2C170&sr=1-1
- [The Jazz Club Spy](https://genevievegraham.com/the-jazz-club-spy/): Roberta Rich brings to life 1930s New York in this fast-paced, gritty historical thriller featuring a cunning young cigarette girl with a quick mind and a hidden past, who is dropped into a political conspiracy on the eve of WWII and comes face to face with secrets and lies that put everything—including her life—in jeopardy. Full of twists and turns, this is a page-turner to the end. To buy on Amazon.ca: https://www.amazon.ca/Jazz-Club-Spy-Roberta-Rich/dp/1982187727/ref=sr_1_1?crid=PR5JL03ECI69&keywords=the+jazz+club+spy+by+roberta+rich&qid=1706460174&s=books&sprefix=the+jazz+club+%2Cstripbooks%2C157&sr=1-1
- [The Secret Book of Flora Lea](https://genevievegraham.com/the-secret-book-of-flora-lea/): I loved this book! From the magical world of Whisperwood, created by a little girl to escape the realities of a terrible and confusing war, to a deep and heartbreaking mystery that weaves through the hearts and minds of both characters and readers. We need to know what happened that day … I raced through this book, then I was so sorry – I wished it could have lasted forever! To buy on Amazon.ca: https://www.amazon.ca/gp/product/166802313X/ref=x_gr_bb_amazon?ie=UTF8&tag=x_gr_bb_amazon_ca-20&linkCode=as2&camp=15121&creative=330641
- [When the World Fell Silent](https://genevievegraham.com/when-the-world-fell-silent/): A beautiful, meticulously researched story that will keep you on the edge of your seat until the very last page. Set around a horrific tragedy that ended or altered thousands of lives in the blink of an eye, The Long Way Home is about two very different women struck by tragedy during some of the most shocking history in Canada’s past. Overwhelmed and broken by loss, each must struggle separately to survive, but when their lives cross unexpectedly, they are forced to make an impossible decision that will change lives forever. COMING JULY 2024 – PREORDER TODAY! To buy on […]
- [To Track A Traitor](https://genevievegraham.com/to-track-a-traitor/): What a delight! Lane and Darling are the most adorable couple I’ve met in a long time, and Ms Wishaw’s clever insights into their post-WW2 lives are crafted with such charming finesse that readers will fall in love as I did. With a cast of beguiling characters following unexpected twists and turns until the truths are finally revealed, “To Track a Traitor” was a joy to read. I am off to order the rest of the series! To buy on Amazon.ca: https://www.amazon.ca/Track-Traitor-Lane-Winslow-Mystery/dp/177151387X/ref=tmm_pap_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=&sr=
- [Adele and Jerry Original Reunion](https://genevievegraham.com/adelejerryoriginalreunion/): I thought this was a pretty romantic reunion scene, but then tempers began to rise between Jerry and Ernie, and I knew there had to be a more dramatic entry. So this one got set aside, but you can enjoy it here. At this point, Adele had a little brother, who did not appear in the final book. A man stood on the slope, overlooking the water, his profile darkened by the setting sun, and Adele was instantly on guard. It was too cold for someone to be there without a reason. And with all the chaos on the river […]
- [Adele Finding Dr. Knowles](https://genevievegraham.com/adele-finding-dr-knowles/): I originally had this scene follow the party at Ernie Willoughby’s mansion. Her mother has injured herself badly enough that she will require more than Adele’s skills, but Adele has to work up her nerve to go out in the darkness to find the doctor. She still has the startling memory Ernie’s knuckles, bloodied from violent use. In this scene, Adele has not yet been hired by the doctor. When it was time for her to walk home, she decided to take the longer path, which would take her along the river’s edge, past the wall to wall bustle of […]
- [Someday I'll Find You](https://genevievegraham.com/someday-ill-find-you/): “Someday I’ll Find You” is an absolutely wonderful novel, rich with fascinating historical gems, driven by fast paced adventures and intrigue that held me spellbound the entire way through. Oh! And it is so romantic! A story of survival against all odds, and of true love despite it all. I have read a LOT of historical fiction, most of which are set during WW2 (as is this one), and each book has its own story to tell in its own unique way, but this … This is a book I will read again and again. CC Humphreys once again proves […]
- [The Diamond Eye](https://genevievegraham.com/thediamondeye/): I have run out of ways to describe how much I admire Kate Quinn’s stunning novels – and the fact that she seems incapable of producing anything less than perfection. This true story follows the incredible life of a quiet, basically single mother, and history student who joins World War 2 after Hitler invades her home country of Russia. We are in Mila Pavlichenko’s head and heart as she survives years of unbelievable, brutal experiences of devastation and loss, becoming “Lady Death, the deadliest sniper in Russian history with 309 Nazi kills. Wounded in battle, she is told she cannot […]
- [The Foundling](https://genevievegraham.com/the-foundling/): I loved Ann Leary’s voice throughout this powerful story, and now I am keen to read her backlist. Set in the US during a time when many women had the same rights as children, the main character of “The Foundling”, Mary, starts out as a woman of her times. She follows the rules without question, assuming her boss is always behaving as she should, because neither Mary’s moral compass nor her self-confidence have caught up to reality yet. This is a story of great tragedy – and one the needed to be told. The ‘Nettle State Village for Feebleminded Women […]
- [The Little French Bridal Shop](https://genevievegraham.com/the-little-french-bridal-shop/): Such an adorable story. I started out a little confused about the main character, Larisa. In fact, I was starting to think I didn’t like her. But then it became clear that Larisa had the same problem I had, and “The Little French Bridal Shop” is all about her awkward, sometimes hilarious, sometimes poignant journey to self-discovery. It’s the book I needed just now.   Purchase The Little French Bridal Shop here.
- [Moonlight and the Pearler's Daughter](https://genevievegraham.com/moonlight-and-the-pearlers-daughter/): Absolutely gorgeous debut by journalist and travel writer, Lizzie Pook. One need read no farther than the first sentence to know this will be a deliciously descriptive book, and the beautiful writing is backed up by a mystery and an adventure unlike any I have read before. I know that anything written about the 18th century (pretty much) is going to be pretty gritty, dark, and grimy, so I thought I was prepared for it, but the grit was the sand between Eliza’s toes, the darkness the complete blackness of the furious sea at night, and the grime clung viscerally […]
- [Sarah's Key](https://genevievegraham.com/sarahs-key/): The thing about history is … we think we’ve heard it all, and yet we know so little. And the more I learn, the hungrier I become. “Sarah’s Key” is a beautiful, heartwrenching book set around the horrific events of Vel’ d’Hiv in July 1942, a part of the Second World War about which I had never heard. And since it involved approximately 10,000 victims it is once again a story that needs to be known and shared. This book was told in dual timeline, and truth be told, I could have done without the present tense storyline, but the […]
- [The Lost Chapter](https://genevievegraham.com/the-lost-chapter/): “The Lost Chapter” is a heartwarming, beautifully crafted story of family and friendships, tragedy and resilience, and the power of believing in one’s self even when it feels impossible. It is a love story to the importance of forgiveness and understanding — and a reminder that it is never too late to make things right with those you love, and with yourself. Order The Lost Chapter here.
- [Circus of Wonders](https://genevievegraham.com/circus-of-wonders/): “Circus of Wonders” hypnotized me from its first page to the last. From Nell’s beginnings as a dirt-poor girl born into a dusty, poverty-stricken village in the middle of nowhere, her body covered with with birthmarks that target her for a life of humiliation and isolation—the same birthmarks that rocket her to unimaginable heights—to the eager and relentless Jasper Jupiter, whose cravings to own only the brightest spotlight surround him in a darkness he cannot see, to his brother Toby, always in the shadows, so in love with them both he is lost to himself … Elizabeth Macneal’s wonderfully detailed […]
- [Bloomsbury Girls](https://genevievegraham.com/bloomsbury-girls/): One of the most frustrating parts about reading historical fiction is trying to conceive the reality of just how much women had stacked up against them through the ages, on so many levels. One of the most exhilarating parts is watching the old attitudes buckle beneath the determined new, and “Bloomsbury Girls” does this in the most delightful way. Three women working at a century-old bookstore for far less pay and say than the male employees, each with their own personal reasons—even agendas—for being there, must find a way to even the playing field and be heard against seemingly impossible […]
- [The Maid](https://genevievegraham.com/the-maid/): Oh, I loved this book! What a quirky, gentle soul is Molly the Maid. I loved her from the first page, with her obsessive need for order and cleanliness, her frustrating yet endearing inability to understand facial expressions, innuendos, or other aspects of society that most of us take for granted. When her beloved grandmother, with all her practical lessons, is gone, Molly is left without an anchor just when she needs one the most. As one door opens in the long corridors of the grand hotel in which she works, another one mysteriously squeaks closed, and the invisible maid […]
- [Lucky](https://genevievegraham.com/lucky/): “Lucky” is a fun, endearing, and deeply satisfying ride. Switching seamlessly between three time periods in Lucky’s life, we see the girl she could have been, the con artist she became, and we root for her to evolve into the woman she dreams of being. Author Marissa Stapley writes with beautiful, engaging voices, keeping the reader on their seat’s edge trying to figure out who to trust, and who, as Lucky suspects every time, is playing ruthless shell games. Struggle, survival, and redemption are the storyline’s building blocks, but it is trust and love that glue it together. This was […]
- [Landing at Dieppe](https://genevievegraham.com/molly-and-her-grandmother-2/): Before I decided to explore the Pacific Theatre during World War 2 (which brought me to the Battle of Hong Kong), I considered writing about Dieppe. I pictured Max and the others just before the landing, and I tried to imagine what that might be like. The thrill of finally fighting … and the terror going into a completely hostile unknown.       DELETED SCENE LANDING AT DIEPPE   They’d been told that the military exercises in which they’d participated two months ago were now going to be carried out. That worried him a bit, because those exercises hadn’t gone […]
- [Molly and her Grandmother](https://genevievegraham.com/molly-and-her-grandmother/): All her young life, Molly had adored her grandmother (or Seanmháthair – Irish Gaelic for grandmother) and the two shared a love for stories and storytelling. I loved writing this scene, imagining them together, cozy and happy in the small room.     DELETED SCENE MOLLY AND HER GRANDMOTHER   “Here we are, Mum,” Molly heard from outside her bedroom. She shut her journal and tucked it under her pillow. “Molly, open the door.” She did, and her mother peered in. Molly’s grandmother leaned on her arm. “Your grandmother wants you to read to her.” Molly led her grandmother into the room […]
- [The Second Mrs. Astor](https://genevievegraham.com/the-second-mrs-astor/): Such a beautiful book. Meticulously researched and exquisitely detailed, “The Second Mrs. Astor” is wonderful historical fiction, but it is also a lush, consuming romance. ‘A love story for the ages’, as they say.  Madeleine Force has no idea what she is getting herself into when she allows the charming, powerful, and wealthy-beyond-imagination Jack Astor into her heart, but she couldn’t have stopped herself if she tried. She’s loved him all her life, and he cannot imagine how he lived before he met her. Ms Abé has captured the magic and reality of true love in her words, and I […]
- [The Forest of Vanishing Stars](https://genevievegraham.com/the-forest-of-vanishing-stars/): Historical Fiction author extraordinaire Kristin Harmel does it again with a compelling story of human nature, fortitude, and courage in the face of the most horrible reality. Not only is this book a wonderful, heartwrenching story of survival and love, it’s a Survival Kit, too! Ms Harmel’s research for this book is incredible. Based on the true story of the hundreds of Jewish people forced to escape into Poland’s wild forests to evade the Nazis, she brings the reader into the minds and hearts of these desperate people  discover “home is not a place, but the people you choose to […]
- [The Winter Garden](https://genevievegraham.com/winter-garden/): “Winter Garden” has been around for a few years now, and yet for some reason I’d never found the time to dive into it until this week. If you know Kristin Hannah’s work, then I bet you are nodding smugly to yourself right now. You already know the magic this woman creates, and you’re wondering why I waited so long. If you have never read anything by her, now is the time to start. My genre of choice is usually historical fiction, so when I started in on this book and discovered that approximately the first two-thirds of it are […]
- [The Lost Apothecary](https://genevievegraham.com/the-lost-apothecary/): Everyone’s talking about this book, but I’ve delayed reading it until I knew I’d have time to really settle in. What an incredible debut by Sarah Penner, shooting to the top of all the bestseller charts and getting a movie deal all at the same time! (I can tell you, it should be a spectacular movie!) Sometimes when books get so many rave reviews out of the gate I am hesitant, but I shouldn’t have been in this case. I loved the book. Writing a convincing and important dual time line can be incredibly difficult – really, it’s writing two […]
- [The Rose Code](https://genevievegraham.com/the-rose-code/): I have yet to read a novel by Kate Quinn which is anything less than brilliant. She is an inspiration to me, with her beautifully developed characters, gripping plotlines – that do not leave me scrambling to figure out what’s going on – and research that leaves me astounded. The story of the Bletchley Circle codebreakers and everything that went on over there during World War 2 is a subject that is only recently coming to full light, since those who worked there were sworn to secrecy on pain of death for at least forty years. Ms Quinn didn’t just […]
- [Yours Cheerfully](https://genevievegraham.com/yours-cheerfully/): PUB DATE: AUGUST 2021 I fell head over heels for Emmeline and friends in “Dear Mrs. Bird” and have had my fingers crossed for three years now, hoping for a sequel. I love that this is subtitled “Book #2 in the Emmeline Lake chronicles” because that means there are more coming! Emmeline, Bunty, Charles, Guy – I missed you all so much, and I was delighted that you should choose to invite me along on your wonderful escapades once more, this time introducing me to Anne, Irene and the gang … Really, AJ Pearce writes the most delicious all-too-British dialogue, […]
- [In a Holidaze](https://genevievegraham.com/in-a-holidaze/): This was exactly what I needed. My passion is in Historical Fiction, and my heart remains there, but once in a while I need to cleanse the palate with something light and sweet. It was Christmastime when I asked one of my friends online for a suggestion for a light, easy ‘rom/com’ kind of book, and she sent me my first Christina Lauren book – which was just right. All the best crushes and blunders, arguments and apologies, laughs and even a few tears … with a little bit of magic sprinkled in to make it into the “Groundhog Day” […]
- [Yellow Wife](https://genevievegraham.com/yellow-wife/): Not for the faint of heart, this epic story of slavery and survival. Ms Johnson has crafted a thoroughly engrossing, historically detailed, brutally honest account of life for a mulatto woman forced into desperate circumstances to survive despite all odds, and to protect the ones she loves. As a beautiful, talented daughter of a white master and black slave, Pheby comes from an odd kind of ‘privilege’ and must turn her entire life around when everything changes. Couldn’t put the book down. Highly recommend. Order Yellow Wife on Amazon
- [Our Darkest Night](https://genevievegraham.com/our-darkest-night/): A gripping tale of devastation, love, and hope set during the darkest days of the Second World War, “Our Darkest Night” takes readers on a shocking journey through war torn Italy all the way to the chilling brutalities happening in Poland. The story is based on the lives of Ms Robson’s husband’s ancestors, and the author’s passion for the story and love of the people come alive in her beautifully crafted characters, all of whom must become so much stronger than they ever believed they could be. Jennifer Robson’s books are always a delight, giving readers so much in both […]
- [The Sister's Tale](https://genevievegraham.com/the-sisters-tale/): “The Sister’s Tale” is an impeccably written, mesmerizing tale of loss and betrayal, and of the strength required not only to find hope amid the ashes, but to rise from them. Using pain-staking and what must have been heartbreaking research, Beth Powning’s lyrical style both soothes and disturbs. I found it very difficult to put the book down. Highly recommend! British Home Children Suffragettes Poverty Women’s stories even a murder mystery! Order The Sister’s Tale on Amazon
- [The Paris Apartment](https://genevievegraham.com/the-paris-apartment/): A breathtaking, page-turning WW2 tale of courage, espionage, and true love. Kelly Bowen’s engaging, dual-timeline characters will take you on an unforgettable journey of adventure and discovery. You won’t want to put the book down for even a moment! Five stars! Order The Paris Apartment on Amazon
- [The Lost Queen/The Forgotten Kingdom](https://genevievegraham.com/signe-pike-times-two/): Someone suggested I read Signe Pike’s first novel, “The Lost Queen”, but I was loaded up with books to read, so I hesitated. “What’s it about?” I asked. “I’ll give you a hint,” she told me. “It’s lauded as ‘Outlander meets Camelot’.” SOLD. I set all other books aside and read both “The Lost Queen” and Part 2: “The Forgotten Kingdom”. And it was SOOOOO worth it!!! This was the closest I have come to reading an “epic” story in so long, and I lost myself in the delicious details, both historically accurate and based on myth or mysticism. The […]
- [The Last Garden in England](https://genevievegraham.com/the-last-garden-in-england/): Bestselling author Julia Kelly plants the seed of an idea, nurtures it into a vivid, intriguing seedling, then fertilizes, prunes, and shapes its various twisting branches into a stunning garden. Connected across the decades by a garden in desperate need of their care, three fascinating women grow alongside one another, shedding secrets and insecurities, eventually blooming with self-realization, hope, and love. Order The Last Garden in England on Amazon
- [The Spoon Stealer](https://genevievegraham.com/the-spoon-stealer/): “I loved The Spoon Stealer so much, for so many reasons. Emmeline and Vera were the most delightful lead characters I have read in a long time. I laughed, I cried through scenes both charming and horrifying, and I was emotionally attached to every character. Like with every one of Ms Crewe’s books, each scene and character was expertly crafted, and though the ending was perfect in every sense, I was left wishing the story would never end. An absolutely wonderful, heartfelt story of family and redemption, forgiveness and love. The Spoon Stealer will leave you longing for more.” Order […]
- [Entering the Orphanage](https://genevievegraham.com/entering-the-orphanage/): Besides the pain of being torn from their friends, Winny and Mary must also suffer the humiliation of the orphanage, and though some of this was included in the eventual book, some was not.   With no other options, Mary and she had walked as one behind the wimpled woman at the orphanage, their hands linked tightly together. So many questions flew around in Winny’s head, but she was afraid to open her mouth and let them out. “Take off your clothes and put them in there, then you come over here,” the woman said, leaning over a large tub […]
- [Inadvertent Abandonment](https://genevievegraham.com/inadvertent-abandonment/): The Industrial Revolution brought tens of thousands of people from rural locations to the cities, where they were met with terrible, filthy living conditions and rare or non-existent jobs. Children were sent out very young to help feed the family, but many still couldn’t get by. Sometimes, when it got to be too much, parents might bring their children/child to a Home, like Dr. Barnardo’s Stepney Causeway. There, the child would be fed and well cared for, so these places probably saved many lives. However, the parents sometimes left their children only temporarily, planning to return for them in a […]
- [The Secret Messenger](https://genevievegraham.com/the-secret-messenger/): I loved this book – as I loved Ms Robotham’s first, “The German Midwife”. She has a powerful voice and her first-person narration is beautiful. I felt connected to the main character, Stella, throughout, and her fears were my own, as were her joys. Venice – such a unique location for a WW2 story, and yet it was a true story! Just when we think we know all there is to know about that horrible war, more stories surface, forever educating, forever helping us remember. “The Secret Messenger” twists and turns, like the watery mazes of Venice, and the farther […]
- [The Guardian of Lies](https://genevievegraham.com/the-guardian-of-lies/): This was an incredible book. From the first paragraph I was glued to Eloïse’s side, riding shotgun with her through the twists and hard turns of this amazing adventure. Ms Furnivall made everyone into a plausible suspect and a plausible saviour at the same time, and the ending had me stunned – and cheering. Absolutely amazing. How have I never heard of Kate Furnivall before? I will be looking up her entire backlist now! Order The Guardian of Lies on Amazon
- [Hurry Home](https://genevievegraham.com/hurry-home/): Fantastic book. I was sure I knew who was who, had a pretty good feeling about what was what and what would be … and I was wrong every time. Twist after twist, with wonderfully written characters that I rooted for no matter how many times the story changed direction – until the end, when it descends into a thick, dark truth that had me turning pages fast as I could. Absolutely terrific. My first book by Canadian author Roz Nay, and now I’m off to check out more! Order Hurry Home on Amazon
- [Bonnie](https://genevievegraham.com/bonnie/): “She could still tell herself it was a love story.” I knew who Bonnie & Clyde were, of course, and I’ve seen their final photo many times, but I didn’t know anything about the people and adventures behind the scenes, and it was fascinating to go there. Bonnie was smart, artistic, and strong willed. She was also very, very poor. Clyde was clever, brash, and unafraid – and even more poor. Riding shotgun through their wild romance and even wilder ‘career’ was compelling. I enjoyed the way the author reminded us of just how young and confused they were – […]
- [The Swap](https://genevievegraham.com/the-swap/): If I were to try and squeeze “The Swap” into one image in my mind, I would describe it as layers upon layers of neatly defined, vibrant lines flowing together, apart, together in a constantly twisting maze. But that image isn’t right, because none of the characters in “The Swap” are one-dimensional. Each one is beautifully crafted, their individual and connected situations suited perfectly to their complicated, broken personalities. Ms Harding had me on the edge of my seat from start to finish, braced for the surprise(s) I knew had to eventually come, captivated by the story’s switching directions and […]
- [The Book of Lost Names](https://genevievegraham.com/the-book-of-lost-names/): As author Kristin Harmel so neatly states, “one of my favourite things about writing about the war [WW2] is that I’m able to dig deep into subjects many of us may not be familiar with.” So true! There is a treasure trove of novels set during that time period, but only the ones that contain thorough and careful research – novels like “The Book of Lost Names” – stand out. I have read a great deal about the French Resistance, but I had never really considered the forgers and the incredibly important role they had to play in the war. […]
- [Recommended British Home Children Videos](https://genevievegraham.com/recommended-bhc-videos/): When I first read about the British Home Children, I actually didn’t believe it. It made no sense to me that something so important, so crucial to the creation of today’s Canada had never been taught to me in school. And it wasn’t just me. When I asked others if they’d ever heard of the scheme, most looked at me like I was joking. When I explained further, telling them the actual numbers and the treatment most of those children received, they were understandably horrified. When I started researching the British Home Children, I read a lot of books, needing […]
- [Paper Proof](https://genevievegraham.com/paper-proof/): Below you will see bits and pieces of paper relating to the British Home Child scheme. I found the wording of most of these documents to be particularly disturbing, since they sound more like they’re discussing something inanimate, not the most precious of all things: a child.     Advertisement announcing the impending arrival of British children to Canada.       Sample application form to be filled out by the children’s future “Master”.                 Application form – don’t forget to include the $3 application fee!    The Master’s application fee receipt.   […]
- [Memories of the Children](https://genevievegraham.com/memories-of-the-children/): A few of the stories I read when I was first researching the British Home Children. I apologize – I cannot remember the book these were from, but I know it was one of those special, limited books I wasn’t allowed to remove from the library!
- [The British Home Children](https://genevievegraham.com/the-british-home-children/): The Industrial Revolution, which began in the 18th century in Britain, was one of the most influential times in world history. Progress changed the way people existed. Included in that change was major urbanization. Lured by the promise of opportunity, jobs, and prosperity, tens of thousands of people left their rural lives behind and brought their families to the cities. Of course, those opportunities turned out to be fewer than anyone had hoped, and the lack created a terrible poverty. Desperate parents, unable to feed themselves or their children, were often forced to send the little ones out to work in […]
- [The Sea Gate](https://genevievegraham.com/the-sea-gate/): I was swept away by this mesmerizing book, and I savoured every moment of the journey. History, intrigue, suspense, romance, the evolution of two strong, engaging women, and a parrot – everything I longed for and more! “The Sea Gate” will stay in my heart for a long time. Order The Sea Gate on Amazon
- [The Brideship Wife](https://genevievegraham.com/the-brideship-wife/): A beautifully told, meticulously researched story of the little known bride ships and the courageous women on board those shabby crafts who risked everything for freedom then fought to get what they deserved. Debut author Leslie Howard brings history to life by masterfully navigating the social demands of the time, the perilous journey into the unknown, the politics, hazards, and often tragic results of colonization, and the minds and hearts of those bridging both. Order The Brideship Wife on Amazon
- [The Paris Library](https://genevievegraham.com/the-paris-library/): Absolutely delightful story – stories – from the first page to the last. Odile was a wonderful lead, with her contagious energy and insatiable curiosity, then her wisdom and generosity later in life. I adored the menagerie of colourful ‘subscribers’, those who, like Odile, put their lives on the line to preserve the sanctity of the library and every word contained therein from the unthinkable actions of the enemy. I 100% recommend this book to anyone who understands the magic of books, friendships, and love in the face of evil. This wonderful book will not be published until Feb 2021 […]
- [The German Midwife](https://genevievegraham.com/the-german-midwife/): My #1 favourite book of 2019. From the opening pages, I was swept into an entirely real, horrific world, filled with stunning, yet subtly included – as they would be, if they were seen from the character’s viewpoint – details. We have all read wartime novels that have moved us, taken us to terrible places in our hearts and minds, but this book … It was more. Holocaust and Gestapo stories woven together by unexpected, expert inside knowledge, fibres of the deeply personal life of the midwife, tales of love and grief that won’t leave me. I was convinced, my […]
- [The Girl They Left Behind](https://genevievegraham.com/the-girl-they-left-behind/): Some readers lately have said, “I love Historical fiction, but there are too many WW2 novels out right now.” Others have said, “I can’t get enough of these WW2 novels” (count me in the latter camp). “The Girl They Left Behind” solves both these issues beautifully by taking us out of the usual geography, society, and politics and yet completely filling the history lover’s unquenchable thirst for knowledge of that era. Then to learn that the book is based on the story of the author’s own mother? Irresistible. But it was the lyrical opening sentence, the opening paragraph then chapter, […]
- [Coal Mining](https://genevievegraham.com/belinda-mulrooney/): I wanted to include a little insight into both being inside a coal mine and the personality of Turtle Mountain itself. I really have never experienced any kind of blackness that comes close to what I saw when I took a tour of a coal mine and the tour director told us all to turn off our helmet lamps. I used to think people were exaggerating when they said they couldn’t see an inch in front of their nose, but I’m here to tell you it’s all true! I have added a couple of photos from nearby mines (I was […]
- [Father William Judge](https://genevievegraham.com/father-william-judge/): One of the many iconic figures in Dawson City was Father William Judge, the “Saint of Dawson City”. Judge was a fairly prominent secondary character in my first draft. Since he didn’t make it to the final book, I thought he at least deserved some attention in here.   Ben’s way of thinking there were three categories of miners. First were the ones with sturdy, well-kept packs and sleds who came all this way because their successful businesses or comfortable lives had bored them to the point that they craved risk. Many of those men had turned back before they […]
- [Sheep Camp Avalanche](https://genevievegraham.com/sheep-camp-avalanche/): When I first wrote about the Sheep Camp Avalanche of 1898, I saw it both from Liza’s perspective and Ben’s, but for continuity’s sake I kept Liza’s in the book. This version doesn’t include the moment when Ben comes upon Liza and tries to rescue Stan because most of that was blended into the ultimate chapter.   APRIL 4, 1898 “Every day this place looks different,” Thompson said, standing beside Ben. He’d been inside with most of the others, saying prayers for Palm Sunday. Ben had not attended. He hadn’t gone to even one service since they’d arrived. At first […]
- [The Quintland Sisters](https://genevievegraham.com/the-quintland-sisters/): As the author wrote in her notes at the end, “the brighter the spotlight, the darker the shadows.” This was a fascinating look into the first five years of the Dionne quintuplets’ lives from the perspective of a girl/young woman who unexpectedly becomes the lone constant in their lives. The book is fiction, but it is based on facts which have been collected and preserved by quint fans for decades – almost a century, really. Emma, the narrator, is naive by her own admission, and it is her search for clarification that shows the reader the dark and the light […]
- [The Huntress](https://genevievegraham.com/the-huntress/): I was spellbound by this book, didn’t want it to end. In the beginning I will admit that I was put off a little by the jumping around between years with the three main characters. Since the years were so close to each other (1940, 1946, 1950, I think), I kept having to look back and make sure I was in the right time and place. But this was a brief discomfort and was soon forgotten as I disappeared into this fascinating story of both during and after WW2. The ‘during’ was mesmerizing. I loved, loved the story of Nina, […]
- [Bellewether](https://genevievegraham.com/bellewether/): As she has with every one of her exquisite time slip novels, Susanna Kearsley left me breathless with “Bellewether”. Historical fiction is all about bringing history to life, and Ms Kearsley always gives us so much more than a mere heartbeat. With a curator’s expertise, a historian’s passion, and an artist’s finesse, she brings meticulous attention to 18th century historical detail (including the Acadians – a particular favourite of mine), and every detail has a purpose, meaning her beautiful prose is never overdone. I’m always so impressed by how she is able to create separate/connected characters and make them all […]
- [The Lost Carousel of Provence](https://genevievegraham.com/the-lost-carousel-of-provence/): “Who amongst us hasn’t thought of carousels with nostalgia?” That is Juliet Blackwell’s opening remark in the Author’s Note. I am not sure a carousel has even crossed my mind in a decade (when my daughters were young enough to beg me for tickets), but the title of this novel immediately took me back. I could hear the tinny music, see the lights in the garishly painted ceiling shining on the painted stallions’ furious expressions, recall the wait between rotations before my girls would wave at me again… I loved this novel. (And isn’t that a gorgeous cover??) At first […]
- [The Home for Unwanted Girls](https://genevievegraham.com/the-home-for-unwanted-girls/): Incredible story, beautifully written. The characters were so real I could touch them, and all I wanted was to embrace them, steal them away from their separate horrors. I don’t understand how anyone could rate this book anything less than three stars – unless they are unprepared for the realities of history. Especially our Canadian history. If I were giving stars, this one would get five. Tiptoeing around facts doesn’t make them go away. If we refuse to acknowledge and attempt to understand the past, if we prefer to look away rather than truly see, then history is lost, and […]
- [The Tattooist of Auschwitz](https://genevievegraham.com/the-tattooist-of-auschwitz/): I think I may be forgiven for initially assuming this book was an immensely effective, traumatizing work of historical *fiction*, because how could it possibly be non-fiction? How could human beings do those things to each other in reality? And yet the horrors of history continue to reveal themselves to us through works of truth such as The Tattooist of Auschwitz. We all know the story of the Holocaust (or at least I hope we all know it), but to be inside Lale’s life, to see, feel, and smell what he does, felt horrifyingly new in some ways. His internal […]
- [The Alice Network](https://genevievegraham.com/the-alice-network/): Historical fiction told with heartbreaking clarity and impeccable accuracy. The characters were so real I ached for them. I haven’t read much about women during WW1, and I was fascinated to learn about this network of spies. Highly recommend? Understatement for sure!   Buy The Alice Network on Amazon
- [The Lost Girls of Paris](https://genevievegraham.com/the-lost-girls-of-paris/): I’ll admit, I bought this book for two reasons: 1) Historical Fiction (need I say more?) and 2) that cover. Yes, I am a sucker for beautiful covers. I could hardly wait to dig in, and I want to thank yesterday’s snowstorm for allowing me to sit and read the entire book in a day. 🙂 The beginning of the story was slow for me, with a few questions – I know I’m conditioned to present day awareness, but I’d never have touched an abandoned suitcase – and three female perspectives set, seemingly, in a confusing order. I started to […]
- [The Gown](https://genevievegraham.com/the-gown/): Beautiful, compelling, and everything I love about Ms Robson’s writing, plus so much more. I read her “About the Book” at the end, and what she shared made me admire her writing and ingenuity even more. Sometimes an author knows there’s a story hidden beneath the facts, but unearthing that story can be the biggest challenge of all. Ms Robson did a wonderful job of incorporating those fascinating facts while creating engaging, genuine characters (and their own individual stories). The research done for “The Gown” was incredibly detailed, and yet not once was I tempted to skip over the details […]
- [Dear Mrs. Bird](https://genevievegraham.com/dear-mrs-bird/): I LOVED this book. And I REALLY wish I could meet – and hug! – dear Emmeline, Bunty, both Mr Collinses, William, Roy, Kathleen … What wonderful characters, and what a magical story! My TBR list is shamefully long, but I think I might read this book again and again, both for the laughs and the tears. Ms. Pearce, this was a stunning debut, and I sure hope you’re hard at work on your next brilliant novel, because I am ready to preorder today. And I cannot wait for the film. There will be one, right? 😉 Congratulations on a […]
- [The Orphan's Tale](https://genevievegraham.com/the-orphans-tale/): All the accolades I had seen for this book are so well deserved. Pam Jenoff’s smooth, compelling voice wove a glorious “spider’s web” (circus term I just learned) that captured my mind and heart. So beautifully begun and ended, and yet I could have gone on reading for days. The subject matter was so unique, so expertly researched (though Ms Jenoff is clear that a lot of the writing was pure fiction – and yet it felt perfectly real), that it completely captivated me, from the emotional prologue to the painful yet satisfying ending and every page in between. I loved […]
- [How I Write Historical Fiction](https://genevievegraham.com/how-i-write-historical-fiction/): To me, Historical Fiction is all about bringing the past back to life. The genre exists in books, movies, television, or theatre, offering many fascinating ways to experience the past. Historical Fiction creators research historical facts and inject fictional aspects that will make the story more relatable and compelling to the reader. I write Historical Fiction so that I can learn about the past, and writing about Canada’s history is something I’m passionate about. I am always looking for the next story, and I usually have two or three books on the go. My stories are all based on fact […]
- [Women in WW2](https://genevievegraham.com/women-in-ww2/): In “Come From Away” (set on the Eastern Shore of Nova Scotia, Canada during WW2), Grace Baker’s three brothers head overseas with the Army, the Navy, and the Merchant Navy. Grace stays behind to help her family and run the community’s General Store, supplying locals with food, supplies, and news. Her best friend, Linda, helps run the area’s switchboard in her father’s home. They might not think so, but in their day to day lives they both played vital roles for the people at home.     Obviously, women’s traditional roles still existed, but they changed during war times. In […]
- [Canada in WW2](https://genevievegraham.com/canada-in-ww2/): Nobody wanted to leap back into war. World War One had resulted in an enormous loss of life and a huge debt and, at first, Canadian Prime Minister William Lyon Mackenzie King had supported British Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain’s policy of appeasing the German leader Adolf Hitler. Most Canadians agreed, unwilling to fight again. But rising German aggression began to alert people around the world that something evil was happening and they couldn’t stand back any longer. On September 1, 1939, when Germany attacked Poland, Great Britain and France declared war against Germany. One week later, Mackenzie King and the Canadian […]
- [The Halifax Explosion](https://genevievegraham.com/the-halifax-explosion/): During WW1, tens of thousands of troops from Canada, the British Empire, and America passed through  the busy port of Halifax. Millions of tonnes of supplies for the war effort arrived there by rail and departed by sea. The deep port of Halifax provided a base for ships of the Royal Canadian Navy, the Royal Navy, and merchant ships from around the world. Its population of 50,000 ballooned, enjoying new jobs (including for women), a good economy, and a much busier social scene. Bootleg liquor and prostitution were in high demand. Though the fighting never touched these shores, the war […]
- [Canada (and Nova Scotia) in WW1](https://genevievegraham.com/canada-and-nova-scotia-in-ww1/): On August 4, 1914, Great Britain sent an ultimatum to Germany, insisting they withdraw German troops from Belgium, a country whose sovereignty they had long defended. The Germans did not withdraw, which put Great Britain at war with Germany. That meant the entire British Empire was now legally at war with Germany, including Canada and Newfoundland (which was still an independent colony); however, Canada was able to decide to what extent they would participate in the war effort. Not all Canadians agreed with Prime Minister Sir Wilfrid Laurier when he said “when Britain is at war, Canada is at war. […]
- [The Acadian Expulsion](https://genevievegraham.com/the-acadian-expulsion/): Beginning in 1604, a hardy, hopeful stream of French settlers travelled from France to North America, spreading out to cover what is now Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, Prince Edward Island, parts of eastern Québec, and parts of three New England states. For the most part they settled along the shores of the Bay of Fundy (now part of Nova Scotia) in a beautiful, fertile area known as ‘Acadie’. The native Mi’kmaq people welcomed the Acadians, taught them how to survive the unfamiliar land, and traded with them. The rare, harmonious relationship between the two races resulted in many mixed marriages. […]
- [Original Opening](https://genevievegraham.com/original-opening-3/): The original opening was Danny taking stock of what was going on around him, what had changed over the past few years. As an author, I loved coming back to Danny’s character again.   September 1939  Three lonely gravestones stood halfway up the slope, sentinel over an empty space. The granite cut the bitter shore wind so it whistled as it passed, shivering through the stubborn grass. Another stone would join them soon, once the engraving was done, but the land beneath it would not rise and fall over a newly buried body; they had never found it. The pale, […]
- [Grandpa Danny](https://genevievegraham.com/grandpa-danny/): Grandpa Danny     November 1942   “Careful there, young lady.” Little Nellie’s red curls bounced as she glanced back over her shoulder. “Fire, Grampy,” she explained. “Pretty.” “Just be careful. Not too close.” Eugene’s youngest looked a little like her Uncle Norman when she frowned that way. Almost like she was daring him. Her sister hadn’t been that way, but he’d seen it before. Danny turned a bit on his armchair, folded his arms over his chest, and gave her the answer she needed. Not the one she wanted, though. She mimicked him, laying one chubby forearm on top […]
- [Twins at Navy Medical Exam](https://genevievegraham.com/navy-medical-exam/):  Twins at Navy Medical Exam   Harry didn’t know much about twins; he’d never met any other than his own. But he did know that he and Eugene were far more connected than any other brother or sister he’d ever met. Were other twins this close? He had no idea. All he knew was that it was like having his other half around when Eugene was there. And he knew his brother felt the same. That was understood. Physically, God had made them identical. Both just a little over six feet tall, freckled, their bright red hair mellowed to a […]
- [Harry & Linda](https://genevievegraham.com/harry-linda/):   Harry and Linda had waited a long time for a little romance. And romance includes learning about each other secrets, sharing both warm and dark moments, bringing comfort and support. But sometimes it’s hard to share those secrets. To protect the teller and the listener.   Harry’d done a lot of thinking, and he decided it was time to move forward. Beth would have wanted him to be happy. She’d said so, even. He hadn’t said anything as Linda wiggled her way as far as she could into his attentions, but when she was close enough, he opened his arms […]
- [Tommy Jr](https://genevievegraham.com/tommy-jr/): Tommy Jr kept busy, and he gave us all a snapshot of what it might have been like for a young man to stay home while the others were out there, fighting and dying for freedom.   Tommy liked peace and quiet. His uncle said that made him a lot more like his mother than his father, and while he agreed with that assessment, sometimes he thought he’d rather be associated with his dad’s brave, almost arrogant spirit. The spirit the Atlantic had swept away a couple of years back. On the other hand, he was secretly very glad he […]
- [Amelie's Family](https://genevievegraham.com/amelies-family/): 1 . Amelie’s Family   My papa, Charles Belliveau, was sixteen and still living with the Mi’kmaq when he met my maman. Sylvie Fontaine had grown up only a few houses from where he had been born. The story goes that he saw her walking into the church with her parents, but since he wasn’t properly dressed to enter the house of God, he waited outside for the service to be over. Papa never told me much more about how they eventually met, except to say that she was the most beautiful thing he’d ever seen. Every time he said […]
- [Connor joins the 78th Highlanders](https://genevievegraham.com/connor-joins-78th-highlanders/): I included an additional section at one point, and in it Connor returned from his role on the Pembroke and rejoined the British Army. This section follows the British (from Connor’s perspective) as they capture Fort Louisbourg from the French then continue towards Quebec.   Connor joins the 78th Highlanders In the spring of 1757 Great Britain and France were still at war. Connor, however, was not. His last two years had been spent in Grand Pré, listening to stories about the various battles going on around him. Frustrated, he became a fixture in Captain Drury’s office, trying to convince […]
- [Henri & Michel Make Plans](https://genevievegraham.com/henri-michel-make-plans/): In the first draft of Promises to Keep, I saw one more older brother in Amelie’s household, and when Henri ran to the Mi’kmaq in September he went with his brother Michel. With their freedom came a different kind of prison: from the forest they watched their family’s misery.   Henri & Michel Make Plans Michel kicked at a partially burnt log as it rolled from the fire, frustration blazing in his eyes. Winter was softening the season’s edges, patches of snow and ice receding to reveal optimistic brown sprigs of grass. While blizzards still raged, making everyone long for […]
- [Connor with Amelie's Brothers](https://genevievegraham.com/connor-with-amelies-brothers/): Not only did I originally have an extra brother in the original story, but the two of them also found Connor during a battle. Just as Connor is telling Michel that he is a friend of Amelie’s, Henri sees them and automatically attacks Connor. But now, since Connor has revealed himself as a friend, they realize they need to rescue him in case he knows more than he’s had a chance to tell.   5 – Connor with Amelie’s brothers All at once the air was stolen from Connor, as if he’d been punched in the back. He frowned at […]

## Pages

- [The Chambermaid's Key](https://genevievegraham.com/books/the-chambermaids-key/)
- [Листи через море](https://genevievegraham.com/books/%d0%bb%d0%b8%d1%81%d1%82%d0%b8-%d1%87%d0%b5%d1%80%d0%b5%d0%b7-%d0%bc%d0%be%d1%80%d0%b5/): Листи через море Letters Across the Sea Анотація  “Листи через море”, Женев’єв Ґрем 1933 рік. Вісімнадцятирічна Моллі Раян мріє стати журналісткою, але натомість погоджується на будь-яку роботу, аби допомогти своїй родині пережити часи Великої депресії. Єдиною радістю в її житті є перегляд бейсболу зі своєю найкращою подругою Ханною і таємна закоханість у старшого брата Ханни — Макса, яка потім переросте у взаємну. Проте Канаду все швидше накриває велетенська хвиля антисемітизму, підживлювальна з-за океану гітлерівською пропагандою. За десяток років, коли увесь світ втягнуто в Другу світову війну, канадські солдати — і євреї, і протестанти, вже пліч-о-пліч протистоять Німеччині, Японії та іншим державам-загарбницям. […]
- [Zaboravljena služinčad](https://genevievegraham.com/books/zaboravljena-sluzincad/): Zaboravljena služinčad (The Forgotten Home Child) 2018. godina Vinifred Elis ima devedeset i sedam godina, živi sa unukom i praunukom i čeka dan kada će umreti zajedno sa svojom sramotnom prošlošću. Međutim, kada sa prozora vidi kako pucaju bravice njenog starog kofera i svoju prošlost kako se razleće po uličnom trotoaru, Vinifred više ne može da krije svoje tajne. 1936. godina Petoro dece iz prihvatilišta sreće se na pristaništu u Engleskoj, spremajući se da pođu u Kanadu, uz obećanje da će tamo pronaći dom, porodicu i bolji život. No, glavni likovi ovog romana bivaju otgrnuti od svoje domovine i ostavljeni […]
- [On Isabella Street](https://genevievegraham.com/books/on-isabella-street/): On Isabella Street From #1 bestselling author Genevieve Graham comes a gripping novel set in Toronto and Vietnam during the turbulent sixties about two women caught up in powerful social movements and the tragedy that will bring them together—perfect for fans of Kristin Hannah’s The Women. 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 […]
- [Newsletter](https://genevievegraham.com/newsletter/)
- [The Secret Keeper](https://genevievegraham.com/books/the-secret-keeper/): The Secret Keeper From USA TODAY and internationally bestselling author Genevieve Graham comes a gripping World War II novel about two sisters who join the war effort—one as a codebreaker and the other as a pilot—and the secrets that threaten to tear them apart. Perfect for fans of The Rose Code and The Nightingale. Twin sisters Dot and Dash Wilson share many things, and while they are practically inseparable, they are nothing alike. Dot is fascinated by books, puzzles, and Morse code, a language taught to both girls by their father, a WWI veteran. Dash’s days are filled with fixing engines, dancing with friends, and […]
- [Bluebird](https://genevievegraham.com/books/bluebird/): Bluebird Present Day Cassie Simmons, a museum curator, is enthusiastic about solving mysteries from the past, and she has a personal interest in the history of the rumrunners who ferried illegal booze across the Detroit River during Prohibition. So when a cache of whisky labeled Bailey Brothers’ Best is unearthed during a local home renovation, Cassie hopes to find the answers she’s been searching for about the legendary family of bootleggers…1917Corporal Jeremiah Bailey of the 1st Canadian Tunnelling Company is tasked with planting mines in the tunnels beneath enemy trenches. After Jerry is badly wounded in an explosion, he finds […]
- [Letters Across the Sea](https://genevievegraham.com/books/letters-across-the-sea/): Letters Across the Sea Inspired by a little-known chapter of World War II history, a young Protestant girl and her Jewish neighbour are caught up in the terrible wave of hate sweeping the globe on the eve of war in this powerful love story from the #1 bestselling author of The Forgotten Home Child. If you’re reading this letter, that means I’m dead. I had obviously hoped to see you again, to explain in person, but fate had other plans. 1933 At eighteen years old, Molly Ryan dreams of becoming a journalist, but instead she spends her days working any job […]
- [Sur la Côte de Grand-Pré](https://genevievegraham.com/books/sur-la-cote-de-grand-pre/): Sur la Côte de Grand-Pré À l’été de 1755, Amélie Belliveau vit avec sa famille en Acadie entourée de la mer, des collines verdoyantes et de ses amis micmacs. Sereine. Habitués à leur vie paisible de fermiers, les gens de la communauté croient qu’ils pourront conserver leur statut politique neutre malgré les rumeurs inquiétantes qui circulent. Mais lorsque les Acadiens refusent de prêter serment d’allégeance à la Grande-Bretagne dans sa guerre contre la France, l’armée britannique envahit brutalement Grand Pré, prend possession des terres et expulse les familles de leurs demeures. C’est ainsi qu’Amélie et les siens sont envoyés en […]
- [The Forgotten Home Child](https://genevievegraham.com/books/the-forgotten-home-child/): The Forgotten Home Child The Home for Unwanted Girls meets Orphan Train in this unforgettable novel about a young girl caught in a scheme to rid England’s streets of destitute children, and the lengths she will go to find her way home—based on the true story of the British Home Children. 2018 At ninety-seven years old, Winnifred Ellis knows she doesn’t have much time left, and it is almost a relief to realize that once she is gone, the truth about her shameful past will die with her. But when her great-grandson Jamie, the spitting image of her dear late […]
- [Recommended Reads](https://genevievegraham.com/recommended-reads/): A few of my recent favourites … reviews of mine and a few videos by the authors (when I could find them)! I have also joined Amazon Affiliates, so if you order one of these books using a link on my page, I will receive a percentage of the purchase price. Thank you in advance!  
- [Books](https://genevievegraham.com/beyond-the-books/books-2/)
- [Historical Info](https://genevievegraham.com/beyond-the-books/historical-info/)
- [Deleted Scenes](https://genevievegraham.com/beyond-the-books/deleted-scenes/)
- [Thank You](https://genevievegraham.com/thank-you/): for signing up! You will receive updates, news, events and release information in your postbox!   Beyond The Books
- [Signature](https://genevievegraham.com/signature/): [vc_row css=”.vc_custom_1540834875638{background-color: #ffffff !important;}”][vc_column][vc_column_text] mail@genevievegraham.com  •  genevievegraham.com                   [/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row]
- [Media & Press](https://genevievegraham.com/media-press/): Author Bio Genevieve Graham is the bestselling author of “Tides of Honour”, “Promises to Keep”, “Come From Away”, and “At the Mountain’s Edge”.  She is passionate about breathing life into Canadian History — especially those important moments which might be forgotten over time. To do that she writes captivating stories of love and adventure set in Canada, and she always has about three new books on the go.  She graduated from the University of Toronto in 1986 with a Bachelor of Music in Performance (playing the oboe). While on a ski vacation in Alberta, she met her future husband in a […]
- [At the Mountain's Edge](https://genevievegraham.com/books/at-the-mountains-edge/): At the Mountain’s Edge In 1897, the discovery of gold in the desolate reaches of the Yukon has the world abuzz with excitement, and thousands of prospectors swarm to the north seeking riches the likes of which have never been seen before. For Liza Peterson and her family, the gold rush is a chance for them to make a fortune by moving their general store business from Vancouver to Dawson City, the only established town in the Yukon. For Constable Ben Turner, a recent recruit of the North-West Mounted Police, upholding the law in a place overrun with guns, liquor, […]
- [Promises To Keep](https://genevievegraham.com/books/promises-to-keep/): Promises To Keep An enchanting and poignant story about the unfailing power of love in a world turned upside down by war—from the bestselling author of Tides of Honour. Summer 1755, Acadia Young, beautiful Amélie Belliveau lives with her family among the Acadians of Grande Pré, Nova Scotia, content with her life on their idyllic farm. Along with their friends, the neighbouring Mi’kmaq, the community believes they can remain on neutral political ground despite the rising tides of war. But peace can be fragile, and sometimes faith is not enough. When the Acadians refuse to pledge allegiance to the British in […]
- [Come From Away](https://genevievegraham.com/books/come-from-away/): Come From Away From the bestselling author of Tides of Honour and Promises to Keep comes a poignant novel about a young couple caught on opposite sides of the Second World War. In the fall of 1939, Grace Baker’s three brothers, sharp and proud in their uniforms, board Canadian ships headed for a faraway war. Grace stays behind, tending to the homefront and the general store that helps keep her small Nova Scotian community running. The war, everyone says, will be over before it starts. But three years later, the fighting rages on and rumours swirl about “wolf packs” of […]
- [Book Club](https://genevievegraham.com)
- [Beyond The Books](https://genevievegraham.com/beyond-the-books/)
- [Tides of Honour](https://genevievegraham.com/books/tides-of-honour/): Tides of Honour   A novel of love, loss, and honour amidst the horrors of war and its aftermath.   In the summer of 1916, Private Daniel Baker marches into battle with the boys of Nova Scotia’s 25th Battalion. Out of brutal necessity, Danny has steeled himself against the trials and horrors of war, but he is completely unprepared to meet the love of his life in war-torn France. Audrey Poulin has the soul of an artist. She lives alone with her grandmother in the quiet French countryside, where her only joy is in her brush and palette. When, by […]
- [Contact](https://genevievegraham.com/contact/)
- [About The Author](https://genevievegraham.com/about-the-author/): [vc_empty_space height=”60px”] Breathing life into history one story at a time Thanks for coming to see me. I’m a tremendously lucky lady. I have a wonderful, loving family, a beautiful home, AND I get to write. Really, I can’t imagine a better life. Decades ago (!) I went to university to be a professional oboe player. I never planned to be a writer. I never even tried to write a story until I was over forty – which is proof that you’re never too old to try something new. My passion is breathing life back into history one story at […]
- [My Books](https://genevievegraham.com/books/)
- [Home](https://genevievegraham.com/)


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