After his historical fiction in "Finding the Way", I was intrigued to see Wayne Ng try his hand at a different genre and style. Writing an epistolary novel is tough for conveying plot, character and setting, but the author does an excellent job of all three. In "Letters from Johnny" he takes us to 1970s Toronto and into the mind of 11-year-old Johnny, whose teacher tasks him with writing to a pen pal. The story that emerges is more than his teacher bargained for. At the same time it's a cathartic experience for the young boy, as he shares a unique perspective on his neighbourhood and family as well as national news headlines about the FLQ. It's not the historical Chinese setting I enjoyed from this author before, but something more directly relevant to our times: shades of racism, "child warfare" (perfect malapropism from an 11-year-old), acts of terrorism and violence in our own backyard, and the importance of bridging differences to connect with one another over what all of us have in common, our need for family and belonging. ( )