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 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.

Genevieve Graham is the USA TODAY and #1 bestselling author of twelve novels, including The Secret Keeper; The Forgotten Home Child, which has been optioned for TV; Letters Across the Sea; and Bluebird. She is passionate about breathing life back into history through tales of love and adventure. She lives in Alberta. Visit her at GenevieveGraham.com or on X and Instagram @GenGrahamAuthor.

ISBN: 9781982197018
Format: Paperback
Pages: 432
Publisher: Simon & Schuster
Published: April 22, 2025

“I always know I'm going to learn something fascinating about Canadian history with a Genevieve Graham novel. . . Evoking the worry, pain and passion of Canadians living in a politically charged era, this is a thought-provoking story about guilt, love, and the power of friendship.”
— CAROLINE BISHOP, author of The Day I Left You“Genevieve Graham has produced another winner in this nostalgic sojourn to the 1960s. On Isabella Street is a deeply thought-provoking novel set against the backdrop of the deinstitutionalization of mental health care in the 20th century (the ripple effects of which are still felt to this day). Through evident in-depth research, Graham highlights Canada's complex role in the Vietnam war, as well as the experiences of women fighting to forge unconventional paths for themselves in an era still struggling to accept women's liberation. A snapshot of a city teetering on the precipice of massive socio-cultural change, Graham's latest work explores themes of freedom and choice, and reminds us that there are lessons to be learned from those who see the world through a different lens than ourselves.”
— HEATHER MARSHALL, #1 bestselling author of Looking for Jane and The Secret History of Audrey James“On Isabella Street is vivid and remarkable, a profound story rich in historical detail that brings the vibrant unrest of the late 60s alive, sweeping the reader from the coffee houses of Yorkville, Toronto to the jungles of Vietnam. An uplifting novel on the impact of war on families and relationships, and the power of love to transcend all. Genevieve Graham has a rare gift—immersing the reader in a time and place in the past and making it all so immediate. I couldn’t take my eyes off this incredibly moving story.”
— MAIA CARON, bestselling author of The Last Secret“On Isabella Street unearths Canada’s entanglement in the Vietnam War, set against the backdrop of a Toronto caught in the throes of post-war transformation. Genevieve Graham's remarkable gift for uncovering Canada’s unsung histories is matched by an immersive, deeply sincere storytelling style that uniquely captures the female experience.”
— ELLEN KEITH, bestselling author of The Dutch Orphan“The incomparable Genevieve Graham has done it again, weaving two disparate chapters in Canadian history—our unrecognized involvement in the Vietnam War, and the mid-century movement to discharge patients from mental hospitals—into another captivating work of fact-based fiction. Not only did I enjoy the engaging characters and the strong storyline, but after finishing the book I could not stop thinking about it.”
— ELINOR FLORENCE, bestselling author of Finding Flora“Genevieve Graham is the reigning queen of Canadian historical fiction, delving deep into lesser-told stories that shaped the country and its conscience over the course of the 20th century. She writes with warmth, wisdom, and a deep sense of place, grounded by an extraordinary amount of research. I'm a big fan.”
— KRISTIN HARMEL, #1 New York Times bestselling author