Canadian novelist Genevieve Graham specializes in historical fiction, and in her new book she focuses on a real street in Toronto in 1967. “I think of the event in history as a black and white photograph, and it’s my job to research so much that it becomes real and it starts to feel like I’m colourizing that black and white photo,” Graham told CTV News. On Isabella Street is set during the Vietnam War and one of the characters is a young Canadian who served with U.S. forces in Vietnam. “It was a little concerning since Canada wasn’t officially in the Vietnam War, but then I discovered that between 20,000 and 40,000 Canadians actually went to fight down there.” Graham’s previous books have become USA Today and Globe and Mail bestsellers. She says she embraces her books getting more exposure in Canadian drugstores. “Being able to walk into a Shoppers Drug Mart and unexpectedly find a book that you’ve heard about or that you’re curious about, that’s a great way to have your eyes opened to what’s out there without going in for a specific purpose and I do appreciate that.”
