And the Walls Came Down is the story of Delia, who grew up in a housing complex in Toronto’s inner city, Don Mount, which she describes as “a mixture of new settlers and citizens, a modern-day Babel spanning two generations.” Told partly by Delia as a woman and partly through the entries from her teenage diary she’s returned to the housing complex to retrieve, this is the story of her and her sister, Melissa, growing up with their prideful and volatile mother. Their father left them when they were little and remained a sort of heroic, elusive character in Delia’s mind until he returns and, as an older teenager, she sees his controlling behaviour first-hand. “There was a distinct link between Mother’s misery and the men in her life. Maybe she wanted to be loved but not owned, to give of herself and not surrender all of herself. I could relate.” The heart of the book lies in the romances within and what they reveal about its characters and the world around them. There is an uncertain love triangle between Delia’s mother, her father, and a man they both know named Neville; and then there’s Delia’s squeal-worthy blossoming romance with her basketball-playing neighbour, Mario. I loved this book for its 1990s backdrop, its timely inquiry into class and race—how impossible it is for new Canadians to achieve the dreams they’ve been promised, for its startling imagery, and, of course, for Delia + Mario=trulove 4ever!

Why I wrote And the Walls Came Down

by Denise Da Costa

And the Walls Came Down was inspired by my short stay in Toronto during a summer in the 90s, and the subsequent revitalization projects which targeted several social housing communities in the area. Don Mount Court was a part of a historic Toronto neighbourhood with a history of gentrification and redevelopment dating back to the 1950s. When its demolition was announced I felt compelled to capture this unique community and memorable period of my life, and though it took nearly two decades to complete, without that brief, beautiful summer I spent in the city, Delia’s story would never have been.  

For me, the 90s were a memorable decade, notable for its technological and cultural impact, and as a teen, also a critical period of self-awareness and identity formation. I wanted to capture this delicate transition through Delia’s childhood diary as she observed and encoded the behaviour of the adults around her. Her records reflect the banality of youthful days, but layered in those writings, we see her attempt to understand these observations as she comes of age in a household where family dynamics, gender, class, place, and race, are compounded by the unique challenges of the immigrant experience. As a child of immigrants, these themes interested me.    

Further, her reflection on these musings as an adult, where she revisits her early perspectives like an omniscient narrator, are with a more mature and informed lens. I felt, as someone with a non-conventional upbringing, that this process was integral to my own ability to function as a healthy adult, partner, and caregiver. It was cathartic and enlightening to write in its humourous as well as painful moments. I love writing stories about complex families and using imagery to convey larger themes that open doors for conversations about childhood, mental health, resilience and healing. After unsuccessful efforts to find an agent, I was thrilled to land a publisher who felt, as I did, that the story of Don Mount and its residents, will linger with the reader long after.  

Denise Da Costa is a Canadian author and visual artist whose debut novel And the Walls Came Down, was published in Summer 2023. She studies Creative Writing at the University of British Columbia and is an alumna of the Humber School of Writers and the Diaspora Dialogues mentorship program. Her work explores the complications of love and the impact of gender, race and class on identity. She is currently working on her second novel.