Embedded in Canadian and world history, and set in downtown Toronto between 1947 and the turn of the century, The House on Lippincott is a Jewish family saga which weaves together family caring, Holocaust trauma, abuse, aging, betrayal, anti-Semitism, resistance, and celebration, while introducing vital new characters to the Canadian landscape. There is brilliant feminist scholar and thinker, Miriam Himmelfarb, from whose perspective the story unfolds, her parents, Rachael and Daniel, both Holocaust survivors and activists, mysterious Uncle Yacov, and sisters Sondra and Esther. As children of survivors, early on, Miriam and her sisters make a decision that is to haunt them. A woman with heart, the aging Rachael presents her family with yet another harrowing choice. Throughout, this novel is engrossing, passionate, and touching as it brings us face to face with the human condition: our ability to create joy and meaning even under dire circumstances, human suffering, responsibility, love, betrayal, family ties, and the vulnerability of the human soul.

A Jew born in north end Winnipeg toward the end of World War Two, Bonnie Burstow is an activist, a feminist psychotherapist, a trauma specialist, a videographer, an academic, and a prolific author. Bonnie has worked for decades as an ally in the struggles of marginalized populations and has received numerous awards, including the City of Toronto’s Constance E. Hamilton Award. Her most well-known book—Radical Feminist Therapy—is a recognized classic. She is currently a faculty member in the Department of Adult Education and Counselling Psychology at Ontario Institute for Studies in Education of the University of Toronto.

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