The Jane Loop

For the suburbanites of 1960s Toronto, the Jane Loop streetcar terminal is the gateway to the vibrant and uninhibited city. For Neil Bennett, it is also an escape — escape from his father’s sadistic pranks, the taunts of childhood bullies, and the rigid propriety of his Islington neighbourhood.

The summer before Neil’s seventeenth birthday, the façade of respectability is shattered when a vigilante begins to break into nearby homes, exposing the transgressions of his neighbours. The break-ins, along with the arrival of an alluring new bread delivery man and a visit from his aunt Sylvia from Hollywood, embolden Neil to finally explore the possibilities that exist beyond his own street.

With evocative writing and engaging dialogue, Graham Jackson masterfully explores the subtle complexities of life in 1960s suburban Toronto in this provocative coming-of-age journey to self-discovery.