Denison Avenue

by Christina Wong, Daniel Innes

A moving story told in visual art and fiction about gentrification, aging in place, grief, and vulnerable Chinese Canadian elders

Bringing together ink artwork and fiction, Denison Avenue by Daniel Innes (illustrations) and Christina Wong (text) follows the elderly Wong Cho Sum, who, living in Toronto’s gentrifying Chinatown–Kensington Market, begins to collect bottles and cans after the sudden loss of her husband as a way to fill her days and keep grief and loneliness at bay. In her long walks around the city, Cho Sum meets new friends, confronts classism and racism, and learns how to build a life as a widow in a neighborhood that is being destroyed and rebuilt, leaving elders like her behind.

A poignant meditation on loss, aging, gentrification, and the barriers that Chinese Canadian seniors experience in big cities, Denison Avenue beautifully combines visual art, fiction, and the endangered Toisan dialect to create a book that is truly unforgettable.

Genres: Fiction, Canada, Graphic Novels, Historical Fiction, Book Club, Asian Literature, Contemporary

233 pages, Kindle Edition

Published May 2, 2023

About the author

Christina Wong is a Canadian playwright and prose writer, but also works in sound installation, audio documentaries, photography and printmaking.

Reviews

[Thomas · Rating 5 out of 5]

Okay so, I cried a ton reading this book. Denison Avenue follows Cho Sum, an elderly Chinese woman living in Toronto’s rapidly gentrifying Chinatown, Kensington Market. At the beginning of the novel her husband tragically passes away. We see Cho Sum do her best to live in the aftermath of this loss, like making new friends and new routines and facing racism, ageism, and classism, all while grieving her husband. The destruction of her neighborhood and displacement of people like her is a constant backdrop in her day-to-day life.

Wow, what a novel. It’s so rare to read from the perspective of elderly Asian immigrants who aren’t fluent English-speakers and Christina Wong nailed the voice. Even though I’m not Canadian and I’m also not Chinese, Cho Sum’s narrative reminded me so much of my late grandmother, who was my primary caregiver, who was a first-generation Vietnamese American refugee to the US. It was thus beautifully devastating to read her point of view and I suspect that others who have or have had Asian elders in their lives may feel similarly.

What I loved most about Denison Avenue was Wong’s portrayal of grief. Reading the first 60 pages when Cho Sum’s husband dies, I was heartbroken. Then, reading the remaining 180 pages where Cho Sum has to somehow keep going, I was also heartbroken. I was so moved by how Wong captures the quiet, subtle moments of grief and loss that color your whole existence in the aftermath. I was simultaneously wrecked and touched by her rendering of Cho Sum’s memories of See Hei, as well as of her sometimes simple yet sometimes harrowing day-to-day activities. The second to last page of prose made me cry at my desk. Sometimes with grief just surviving every day is a heroic feat, truly, and this novel helped remind me of that.

Wong also incorporates important themes related to gentrification in Dension Avenue. I felt like these themes didn’t overpower Cho Sum’s narrative, and you really get to see gentrification’s impact on a human level. Really nicely, though sadly, complemented Cho Sum’s grief process in relation to her husband dying.

In sum, five stars to this powerful book. It really resonates with me because I just turned 30 last weekend and it was bittersweet as I’m grieving a lot in my life now. And as I already wrote this book reminded me of my grandparents, especially my grandmother, so the story was well-suited for me. However, even if you may not personally relate as much, I think Dension Avenue will still be an enjoyable read for those interested in books about grief and loss, gentrification, and underrepresented voices within the Asian community.

[Charles · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was in Toronto for business this month, and spent a day a stone’s throw from where the action in this novel takes place. It didn’t move me to buy the book, I’d already picked it up some time this summer, but it 100% motivated me to make it my next read. And I’m realizing, as if further proof was required, that books shortlisted for Canada Reads have consistently been gems in my selections, these last few years. I should likely look back on other titles I passed, and extend my gaze to the longlisted works, as well. (If you’re from outside of Canada and don’t know where to start with Canlit, really, look no further.)

In the case of Denison Avenue, the perspective of an elderly Chinese woman showing resilience after the loss of her husband not only was entirely new to me, but was told in such a way as to endear the reader to her daily tribulations, undergirding her story with a soft humour and candour instead of laying on the drama too thick. Cho Sum’s wholesome reflections revolve around proximity and practical matters; as she contemplates — and often quietly celebrates — community members, local shops, and favourite foods, the vibrant life of a Toronto neighbourhood, past and present, reveals itself.

Changes around Cho Sum are two-fold as she delivers her first-person narrative: keeping active as a widow while processing her grief amounts for over half of her modest tales, and witnessing the gentrification of her immediate surroundings makes up for the rest. The last quarter of this book, composed entirely of beautiful black and white sketches — usually before-and-after street views — finished driving that last point home, and showed out-of-town readers like me what it was precisely that Cho Sum was reminiscing about. The redevelopment of mature neighbourhoods to make room for condos is a reality easily understood nowadays, wherever you live; her views on it, as on store closings, are precious and without artifice.

This is the most charming POV presented to me in a long, long time — somewhat unexpectedly.

[Maxine · Rating 5 out of 5]

Set in Toronto’s Chinatown, Denison Avenue by Christina Wong is a moving tale about loss and grief, loneliness, and of aging in a society that doesn’t respect elders as well as the negative effects of gentrification on culture and tradition. The story moves at a quiet almost gentle pace as we accompany the protagonist, Wong Cho Sum, an older Chinese woman as she tries to deal with her grief after the death of her beloved husband in a hit+and-run accident. She fills her days wandering the streets of Chinatown collecting bottles and cans partly for the money and partly to keep moving as a distraction from her loss and loneliness. And, as the years pass, she notices the changes in the neighbourhood and how the things that made it unique are replaced with the characterless but expensive trappings that accompany gentrification.

Wong’s prose is beautiful, often lyrical, softly and quietly meandering with Wong Cho Sum’s travels and thoughts. It should be noted that Denison Avenue is described as a graphic novel but, at least on the reading app I used, the story and amazing line drawings by Daniel Inness are separate, drawings appearing in the frontispiece and after the story. A truly unique reading experience, one that I will not easily forget.

Thanks to Netgalley and ECW Press for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review

[Helin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Canada Reads 2024 Book 3 of 5

This is a book I hope every Torontonian reads.

I don't know that I can fully articulate this book's impact on me. Denison Avenue is a book about grief and having to carry on because time doesn't slow and change is persistent. I knew I would be disproportionately affected by this story and was prepared to cry but I'm honestly a bit embarrassed by just how much I cried. Don't worry, I really think it was just a me thing, you're probably just going to be sad.

Christina Wong truly illustrates with words by utilizing font size/opacity and allowing room on the page for the text to breathe. I don't think I've ever read a life flashing before eyes that was as striking as the way she wrote it. Followed by Daniel Innes' detailed illustrations, watching Cho Sum walk through her neighbourhood, the one she remembers vs what exists now, is the perfect end.

My one critique is I wish there were just a few more moments of illustration throughout the actual novel. I know this isn't truly a graphic novel (even though based on some reviews maybe it was listed as one prior to release?) but the moments with the citizenship letter or "Loved Now yours to Love" handwritten were so wonderfully woven in that I craved more.

Concerning Canada Reads, I think the story's reliance on the setting will be its downfall. I can see it being argued that those who don't know this Toronto neighbourhood won't have the same experience with this book. Can't say that I'd disagree. A lot goes unsaid because the locations are so familiar and hold meaning to those who know the city. If I wasn't from here I'd have probably wanted to reference a map while reading. It otherwise fits the theme and I would love to see this novel gain a broader readership like Ducks did after its win last year.

[❀ Susan · Rating 5 out of 5]

I am thankful that this book was flagged to me by the Canada Reads long-list and wish that I had read it in a paper version so appreciate the beautiful drawings more. It is a poignant tale of seniors living in their neighbourhood (Chinatown) as it changes. It is about love, loss, kindness, grief, comfort and every day coping. It is beautifully written and a book that I would like a hard copy to re-read, slowly, to take in the dialogue (written often in both Cantonese and English), the memories and think about the areas depicted in the art. This book would make very interesting discussion as we often don't think about seniors, their lives, their memories and what they have to offer as well as the changes in community and the impacts on the long-term residents. This book is reflective, thought-provoking and will stay with me.

[theliterateleprechaun · Rating 4 out of 5]

“We seem to be all fighting for something to call home.”

This book, a contender for Canada Reads 2024 and now featured as a ‘Together We Read 2025’ Libby book club choice, is set in Toronto’s Chinatown and Kensington Market, but it can just as easily be set in any Chinatown. It’s a fantastic book about a Chinese senior citizen and her changing neighbourhood. Wong has chosen to bring attention to her rich culture, elders and non-English speakers in a community, displacement, an endangered dialect, and a part of Toronto’s history that needs to be preserved.

Why should you read it?

It’ll give you a new lens with which to interact with people in your neighbourhood, increase your empathy and understanding of those who struggle, those who don’t speak your language, and those who are being displaced due to changing neighbourhoods. If you enjoy a uniquely written story, this one, written in both English and Toisan (the language the protagonist speaks), with beautiful charcoal drawings, and a format that will pull you into Wong Cho Sum’s plight, is one you’ll want to add to your list. I believe it’s an important addition to Canadian lit, enlightening us to the earlier voices and way of life of our immigrants.

The protagonist:

Wong Cho Sum is a poh poh (grandma) living in Toronto’s Chinatown; she doesn’t speak English, and she doesn’t work. Her community gives her everything she needs. Her whole life centers around visiting the neighbourhood and caring for her husband. When he dies, she’s alone and grieving in a community that’s changing. Places she used to frequent are closing, and gentrification and displacement are causing upheaval in her world.

I empathized with her and I was emotionally affected. I saw her struggle and wanted her family to intervene, yet Cho Sum’s love of her neighbourhood and friends, her way of life, and her positive attitude astounded me. I'll remember this book for a long time.

💙 These passages hit hard:

“Decades of saving.
A life spent saving,
Waiting for the right time, for the right moment.
A moment that never arrived, continually delayed, postponed.
Because we assume there will always be another time, another moment.
Why do we wait?”

“I felt something brush my right hand, and I thought maybe it was a bee so I tried to brush it away, but it was not. I looked down and saw Chloe’s hand curled up in mine. I had forgotten what it was like to feel someone else’s warmth and love, and I almost flinched. I looked at her and smiled. I cupped my hand over hers and patted it.”

“One by one
The houses that were old and needed work were sold over asking.
Bought by those who would fix and resell them at an even higher price.
New coats of paint,
Covering up imperfections,
Hoping its past life doesn’t seep through.
People forced to leave.”

[Allison ༻hikes the bookwoods༺ · Rating 2 out of 5]

My inner pragmatist balked at the entire premise of Denison Avenue. Scrounging for recyclables while sitting on a mortgage-free million dollar home makes absolutely no sense to me. I get that there was emotional value in the home, but there comes a point when facts cannot be ignored.

This book is as much about the city as it is about the protagonist, and I understand what it is to see things change and not like it, but time stops for no one and progress will not be cowed into submission.

The lament for the way things were could have been the saving grace for me, but the style of the writing was insufferable. The dialogue was excessive, with the main character often speaking to herself in full sentences. It felt manufactured just to put in more of the Toisan dialect. The choppy narration was also difficult to read. There were enough encounters with the protagonist struggling with English for the reader to empathize with her. The inner monologue had absolutely no reason to be so stunted.

[Sunni | vanreads]

Wong Cho Sum is an elderly Chinese woman who lives in the Chinatown-Kensington neighbourhood in Toronto that is rapidly changing. Her husband dies in a tragic accident one day. To work through her grief, she starts to slowly make new friends, takes on picking cans as a new way to pass time, and picks up new activities. As she walks through the city streets, she reminiscences times with her husband, and thus, the city’s past as well. The neighborhood around her is changing, with old buildings getting torn down, old shops being replaced, new languages like Mandarin start to replace Cantonese and Taishanese, and new wealthier neighbors start moving in.

This story is a homage and love letter to the older Chinese Canadian generation and the Toronto that they lived in, a preservation of its history before it is gone. It has the sorrowful tone you might feel thinking about the past.

Christina Wong is the story writer and Daniel Innes is an illustrator who has drawn a photo story capturing spaces in Toronto as they change over time.

One thing I didn’t love was the English in parentheses outside of the anglicized Cantonese and Taishanese. I think it’s personal styling preference, but I would have liked it italicized. The parentheses wasn’t enough to separate the two and it kept pulling me out of the story to jump between reading the two.

Lastly, I have personal complicated feelings about these stories, mostly because I feel like as a constant transplant, I’m never from anywhere and always a gentrifier. I’ve been in Canada for over 10 years now and get the sense that the older Chinese generation really don’t like the newer immigrants from the mainland. Sometimes I understand. We haven’t had to go through the same racism the older generations have. They paved the way for us. We don’t appreciate it enough, and I hope we continue to remember these stories. Still, it makes me sad, because I don’t like this divide, and I know that my parents immigration was nowhere near an easy one. It too was painful and I wish there was more unity between the old and new Chinese immigrants in Canada.

Thank you ECW Press for the review copy!

Visit my Instagram @vanreads for more of my reviews.

[Anna · Rating 4 out of 5]

Perhaps it's my lived experience as a first generation Canadian witnessing aging immigrant grandparents navigating the challenges of language, isolation, and disconnect. Maybe it's my recent trip to Toronto, during which I wandered the streets on foot, giving the setting of the book life in my imagination... but Denison Avenue spoke to me in a way I would have never expected. With a unique multilingual format I thought I would struggle to understand and connect with the characters but quickly I was sucked into the struggles and heartbreak in the first half of the book. The only reason I would not rate this book 5 stars is that, in comparison to the first half, the second half dragged on a little bit for me. I was gutted in the first two-thirds and then the emotional impact slowly wore off. Either way, what an ode to a changing Toronto and to the turbulent experiences of newcomers to Canada, even once they've lived here for years. Don't let the format scare you off and buckle in for some big feelings.

[Wendy · Rating 5 out of 5]

I thought this was the perfect book for Canada Reads 2024 theme "one book to carry us forward".
Bringing together both visual art and fiction this is a deeply moving story about gentrification, aging, grief and vulnerable Chinese Canadian elders.

[midori · Rating 5 out of 5]

“The things that mattered most to us, the things we held onto, tell others who we once were.”

“Sometimes, the memory of something can be enough, and sometimes it is never enough. We hold on to whatever we can.”

“We assume there will always be another time, another moment. Why do we wait?”

This was simultaneously the best and worst thing I could have read right now. Regarding the latter, I must have cried from the first 10 pages right through to the end. This story is such a remarkable capture of the mundanity and heaviness of grief, the dragging of time and the desire to be distracted, to be anywhere else other than inside your head.

More than that, it’s an incredibly powerful statement on old age, and the way society treats the elderly. We see value in productivity and fail to appreciate the knowledge, experience, and adversity they carry. It also unflinchingly captures the real-time gentrification of Toronto’s Chinatown/Kensington Market district, a historically distinctive and culturally rich place that’s slowly being overtaken by run-of-the-mill, overpriced, mass-manufactured corporate sameness. For a work of fiction, it’s incredibly real: the experiences of our main character, Wong Cho Sum; the loss of cultural diversity in Toronto; the themes of aging, grief, change. I really hope it wins Canada Reads.

[Jim Puskas · Rating 5 out of 5]

I suppose some would dismiss this as simply an exercise in self-indulgent nostalgia. The protagonist is of course living in a house in Toronto that could easily be sold, cashed in for something close to a million. For heaven’s sake, why trudge through the streets in all weathers collecting cans and bottles?
But that misses the point altogether. In the end, this has nothing to do with money.
This is a person from whom almost everything that matters to her has been taken: her husband, her familiar neighborhood, her entire way of life. And even the language she was raised into (and in which she thinks and reminisces and plans and dreams) is disappearing along with the neighbors, the shops, the restaurants; even the films in her dialect are being replaced with Mandarin (if they’re available in Chinese at all). Every bit of color and character, along with the familiar sounds and smells and tastes are being swept away.
I found this to be tremendously moving. There’s no great drama here, no real plot; just a very quiet contemplation of displacement, loss, aging-in-place.
I’ve not yet read any of the other four Canada Reads finalists for 2024 but after reading this book I find it surprising that it was not the winner; it was certainly well defended by Naheed Nenshi on the CBC sessions.
A few other comments: The language (criticized by some as disjointed) would best be described as expressionist, i.e. conversational and contemplative; entirely appropriate to the subject matter as we follow the newly bereaved Wong Cho Sum in her daily life. The street-scene drawings are beautifully done and they tell the other half of the story, the story of a neighborhood undergoing great changes; the loss of the vibrancy, the intense, complex life that formerly filled those streets.
The book is sensitively written and beautifully packaged. Even the paper is much higher quality than one ordinarily encounters, even in hardcover, let alone paperback as we have here. It’s a book to be read more than once — and read slowly. The publisher, ECW Press is a new one to me; they deserve to be complimented on a very fine piece of work.

[Kirsten · Rating 5 out of 5]

I started sobbing during chapter two and didn't stop. This was a difficult read as someone deeply nostalgic, melancholic about change, and who spent much of my childhood with my Cantonese grandparents in Toronto. Many of the scenes paralleled my own experiences and feelings about culture, grief, our elderly, and what makes a community, though I think many will find a lot that resonates with them in this--Chinese or not.

If you're looking for a feel-good or plot-driven book, this is not it. It's quiet, contemplative, and at its core, really heartbreaking. But I'd still recommend this to anyone. It'll stay with you long after reading and its profoundly beautiful story is worth pushing through the pain :')

[Audrey · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this so much. There is a sense of poignancy and grief throughout the narrative as Wong Cho Sum navigates the sudden death of her husband to a hit and run driver. She starts to collect cans, not only for the income, but to give her something to do. And, as she notices changes, not all for the better, in Chinatown, she thinks about the past and the changes in the community as it gentrifies. And, as she goes through the days, weeks, months and then years, there is that everlasting grief as she attempts to age in place. The drawings at the back are amazing, depicting the changes in the community. It's completely eye catching and can also stand alone.

Staff pick: November 2023, December 2023

[Paul Guthrie · Rating 5 out of 5]

A stunning novel, with element of poetry and intricate drawing as well.

It's a eulogy for Henry Wong, killed by a hit-and-run driver, and a requium for the Toronto Chinatown and Kensington Market that was and still is, but won't be soon.

I've never read anything that is so deeply linked to a specific place, and a place I know well. The illustrations are incredible. There's probably a secret to how they link to the story, but I can't be sure.

This is THE Toronto novel.

[Isabella 淑娇 · Rating 5 out of 5]

Lay mang mang ah (take your time), because before you know it, this could all be gone.

Denison Avenue gives you a sense of what it’s like to lose just about everything you have — your family, community, food, culture, language, and even your physical home — to gentrification.

The hit and run that puts Wong See Hei into a coma and eventually results in his death is not only a very real possibility, but also an apt metaphor for the process of gentrification itself. Urban development and callousness toward minorities are erasing communities and cultures that have existed for generations.

But it doesn’t happen overnight. Like a coma, gentrification takes time to kill, and is marked by the symptomatic loss of communication and autonomy. People don’t understand your needs and begin to make decisions for you that may not be in your best interest.

In many ways, Denison Avenue is also a ghost story: Wong Cho Sum is haunted by the memory of her husband and the threat of gentrification that looms over Chinatown. She learns to subsist on rebates from the cans and bottles she collects around the city, is met with language barriers as her Toisan dialect is replaced by English and Mandarin, navigates the shuttering of local businesses central to her daily life, and is eventually forced to sell her home of decades to make room for upmarket real estate.

Even though Cho Sum lives on, she too begins to fade into a spectre whose presence is announced only by the clink clink clink of her cart of recyclables, wheeling through the neighbourhood that used to be hers.

[Kandice · Rating 5 out of 5]

WOW! What a unique book. Unlike anything I've read before. I'm excited this made the shortlist for Canada Reads this year. I think it fits the theme perfectly, "One book to carry us forward."

This book is all about change. We follow Wong Cho Sum as she grieves the sudden death of her husband all the while slowly losing her neighbourhood to developers.

There is so much that can learned from this book. The illustrations are beautiful, yet heartbreaking evidence of gentrification in downtown Toronto.

[Care · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 rounded up

I really liked our main character. I felt for her pain and her loss (of husband, of community, of landmarks in her neighbourhood). Watching her begin to blossom as a newly single person was hopeful. The ending seemed to trail off and I didn't care for the no-text, illustration portion. So it ended a bit weak for me.

[Jaclyn · Rating 5 out of 5]

:(

[Randi Stretch · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved it. Very tender, very important. Loved the poetic writing style. The sweetness and simplicity of Cho Sum covers the pages, I wanted to read it in one sitting. Read this.

[Natasha Penney · Rating 4 out of 5]

My feelings I’m this book aren’t fully formed so consider this a first impression review. I’m happy Canada Reads put this book on my radar. I’m glad I read it. It’s a timely story - emotional, poignant and powerful. The illustrations are a beautiful addition and add gravitas to the sense of place the wonderful prose already paints. There’s a relevance to this book I wasn’t expecting. The immigrant experience selected here is sad to me, but it feels like it could be universal. Are their lives small and insular? That is also sad. There’s an isolation to the story that was quite hard for me. But ultimately it helped shape the story. There are LAYERS here and three books into this year’s Canada Reads finalists, I truly believe if this book is debated well, it can win. Here’s hoping it doesn’t fall victim to the unfortunate format of the show, or a light treatment of the inevitability of change. It doesn’t mean it ever comes without tremendous cost.

[Andrew Di Rosa · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 for me.

An incredibly touching novel about aging in place and the repercussions and effects of Toronto’s gentrification of its most vulnerable. In this instance, a Chinese Canadian elder who is trying to maintain life and culture in a place that keeps moving, evolving, devolving and destroying her culture.

It’s also a terrific story about grief and being alone in a place that’s constantly changing. It’s quite stunning and, as my friend Helin stated, a must read for any resident of Toronto. It depicts a neighbourhood we’ve all walked through or lived in or passed by and it’s alive and moving and never ceases to show the harsh reality of Toronto life, as well as the beauty of trying to find your way. It’s a story of resilience and triumph, of loss and acceptance, all in BEAUTIFUL illustrations, and simple, yet very methodical prose.

My one issue is I would have liked to see more art integrated though, but that’s a personal preference.

[Ania · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read this book for Canada Reads. I read the e-book version. I want to find a copy of the book at a book store so I can see what it was meant to look like. I loved this story. It was heart breaking. I loved how the author presented the story.

[Etaremi · Rating 4 out of 5]

this book unexpectedly broke me. great read in a time of transition. very nostalgic but simultaneously present. poetically and visually visceral.

wish i had the physical version though :/

[Dana Kim · Rating 5 out of 5]

soul crushing, vivid, and tender reading experience my god this just hit me in all the right places

[Lillian · Rating 2 out of 5]

Honestly, I felt misled by this book. It was listed as a graphic novel on NetGalley, though the majority of the book is text that at times wanders around the page to signify certain emotions or thoughts. The illustrations in this book all come at the end and depict how the neighborhood where this story takes place has changed due to gentrification. It felt like a lost opportunity having all of the illustrations at the end, and not woven throughout the book - perhaps at the beginning and end of each chapter. The sudden transition from text to illustration felt like an abrupt end to the story when I thought there were still 100 pages left of the narrative.

The story itself follows Wong Cho Sum, an elderly Chinese Canadian woman as she suddenly loses her husband and takes to collecting cans as a way to keep grief and loneliness at bay. For me, what this story lacked was any sort of interior narrative or dialogue. So much of this book consists of scenes where we follow Cho Sum's actions and descriptions of what she sees, or memories of her previous life with her husband. Which provides context for her character and background, but made the story and the themes it was trying to explore (grief, gentrification, having to face a rapidly changing world as a vulnerable elder) feel very surface-level, or hinted at rather than truly explored.

I was given early access to an arc of this book from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

[aruushi · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was incredible.

Starting with the text by Christina Wong, I realized at the end that I had followed the protagonist, Cho Sum, through the many emotional states of her story. Following with the loss of her husband, the initial grief and confusion hits hard. You see her go into autopilot, just surviving days as they come and doing whatever she can to distract herself. Then, she slowly gets accustomed to her new life and encounters glimpses of joy, surprising both herself and the reader. She stops living things to survive, but to continue living. Cho Sum becomes more sure of herself. Suddenly a year has passed. Then multiple.

At the same time, Cho Sum is also dealing with the growing loss of the Kensington Chinatown her and her husband lived in. Throughout the book, what started as talks of change, start to become a slow reality, until finally the neighbourhood is rapidly changing into one Cho Sum no longer feels welcome in. You see what was once an unwanted possibility quickly becoming something she feels powerless to stop. The helplessness and frustration coming from the destruction of a place one has built a life around is unbearable.

Next, though I thought I would breeze through the illustrations by Daniel Innes, the beautifully detailed images kept me captivated for multiple days. Each page contained two images of a part of Kensington, one before changes to the neighbourhood start, and one after. On some pages, the neighbourhood does not see major change, with only wear and tear showing the passage of time. In others, I was looking to landmarks like trees, intersections, or building structures to just recognize the former neighborhood. And in some, the only way to identify the neighbourhood as being the same, was the presence of Cho Sum herself. Cho Sum who had not left this neighbourhood that was leaving her behind.

Though the neighbourhood's evolution exists in the text too, seeing the images afterwards really help cement its completeness and invasivity. Even for new the establishments that still hold an Asian background, it is clear that their target is not, which is something I never noticed before when in Chinatown. With even the makeup of the people in the illustrations changing as the area does, I could not think of any better way of adding to an already fantastic story.

[Michelle Leung · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow wow wow. Simply stunned by this and so glad #CanadaReads put a spotlight on this beautiful book. A love letter to Toronto’s chinatown, Kensington market and the lives of the elders living there who have been slowly pushed out by gentrification and classicism. I loved how much of the text was in Cantonese, Mandarin and Toisanese which my late grandmother spoke. I didn’t expect all the memories of us to come flooding back so strongly as I read this story. The book references many iconic businesses and restaurants I would frequent as a young girl with my grandmother in the early 90s. She always had a little cart for Chinatown groceries and would always be dressed in black stretchy pants , floral shirts and blow her nose in a handkerchief we didn’t think we washed that often (lol). Our weekend trips together on the streetcar are seared in my memory. The moving illustrations are an unforgettable part of the reading experience as well. Love, love the library shout outs - especially references to summer reading club, the museum and arts pass program , the seniors always coming in to read the Chinese papers , Lillian H Smith and Sanderson branches etc. Made me smile and cry. I adored all the wonderful little details and the inclusion of hand written pen markings and describing decor and elements inside homes.

[Kathleen · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.6 stars
Denison Avenue (words by Christina Wong and illustrations by Daniel Innes) is a moving story that illuminates the untold lives of Chinese Canadian elders.
This novel is one of the five books shortlisted for 2024 Canada Reads debates and is the second one that I have read.
Encompassing ink art work and fiction, Denison Avenue follows Wong Cho Sum who, living in Toronto's quickly changing Chinatown-Kensington Market, begins to collect bottles and cans after the sudden death of her husband as a way to keep grief and loneliness at bay. In her long walks around the city, Cho Sum meets new friends, confronts classism and racism, and learns how to build a life in a neighbourhood that is being destroyed and rebuilt, leaving elders like her behind. A poignant meditation on loss, aging, gentrification, and the barriers that Chinese Canadian seniors experience in our biggest cities, Denison Avenue beautifully combines visual art, fiction, and the endangered Toisan dialect to create a book that is truly unforgettable.

[Elisabeth Manley · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you can, read the physical copy of this book - I had originally gotten the audiobook from the library and the narrator tries to describe all the illustrations and formatting choices but it’s not the same so I stopped listening and got the book; also the narrator’s voice is too young in my opinion to convey the elderly woman its meant to be.

The way the story is formatted and spaced in places to be poetic really adds to the gravity and grief, especially in the first few chapters. I cried multiple times, including within the first 50 pages of the book, which says a lot about the writing style that it got me emotionally invested so early. There were a lot of passages that were so beautiful, speaking to grief and loneliness on multiple levels.

The illustrations served to highlight the changing and disappearing neighbourhood landscapes of Toronto.

This was a Canada Reads pick for a reason. Recommend.