For decades, if authors wished to capture public interest in their books, it was advisable to place the background of the story anywhere other than in Toronto. Fortunately, this is now changing. More and more, in television programs, films, and literature, the city is featured prominently. In some movies and novels, the city is as important as the the characters and the story.
I have written four books that feature Toronto. The book “The Villages Within” is non-fiction. It provides an irreverent history of the city, as well as in-depth studies of the Kings-West District (around King St. and Spadina), the Kensington Market, and Queen Street West. It also tells about the historic St. Andrew’s Market, the second market established by Toronto. This book was nominated for the Toronto heritage Awards.
My other three books are historical fiction, and feature the city in various decades of the 20th century. For information on these novels, follow the links below.
1. “There Never was a Better Time”, a story of an immigrant family struggling to survive in Toronto during the 1920s.
2. “Arse Over Teakettle,” Toronto Trilogy Book One, a story of a young boy coming-of-age in Toronto in the 1940s, during the Second World War and post-war years.
3. “The Reluctant Virgin,” Toronto trilogy Book Two, follows the same characters as book one of the trilogy. It is a murder/mystery set in 1950s Toronto.