A story of loss, hope and redemption against the most impossible odds.
When the World Fell Silent by Donna Alward is a historical fiction novel that follows two women who reside in Halifax, Nova Scotia, in 1917. War has been raging in Europe for 3 years and the busy port of Halifax with its deep, ice-free harbor and strategic location makes it the perfect location for military support operations for the war. Nora is a Lieutenant in the Canadian Army Nursing Corp, a Bluebird, named for their blue uniforms, and is working at the newly opened Camp Hill Hospital tending to injured soldiers. Charlotte is a mother and widow, having lost her husband in the trenches, and is living with her in-laws, who treat her like a domestic servant. On December 6th, two ships, the Mont Blanc and the Imo, collide in the city’s harbour. One of them is a munitions ship loaded with explosives bound for the battlefields. What followed was the largest human-made explosion prior to the detonation of the first atomic bomb. The blast flattened part of the city of Halifax, killing nearly 2,000 people and injuring approximately 9,000. At the time of the explosion, Nora was at work at Camp Hill Hospital which was partly protected from the blast by Citadel Hill, and Charlotte was out running errands with her daughter, Aileen.
On December 6th, two ships, the Mont Blanc and the Imo, collide in the city’s harbour. One of them is a munitions ship loaded with explosives bound for the battlefields. What followed was the largest human-made explosion prior to the detonation of the first atomic bomb. The blast flattened part of the city of Halifax, killing nearly 2,000 people and injuring approximately 9,000.
At Camp Hill Hospital, which was sorely unequipped to handle this kind of mass-casualty event, Nora spends the long hours in the aftermath of the explosion cleaning wounds, removing splinters, and glass and even suturing, a skill that before the explosion she had never practiced on an actual human. Late in the afternoon, she meets Captain Neil McLeod, a Doctor from Aldershot, who has come to help. That evening she offers him lodging at her sister’s boarding house. The following day, Charlotte wakes up on a cot at Camp Hill Hospital without Aileen. She is in a lot of pain and cannot move her leg. She cannot remember the explosion. She had two large splinters removed from her leg and is suffering a concussion.
What follows is a well-written and well-researched story of the experiences of Nora and Charlotte in the aftermath of the explosion, and into the following year. Skillfully woven into the story are ongoing real events, such as Boston’s response to the explosion and the outbreak of the Spanish Flu. In the days and months that follow, we see through both ladies’ eyes the devastation, the widespread injuries, and the horrific details of the destruction. Nora and Charlotte hunt for family scanning the casualty lists, searching the hospitals first, and then the morgues. Donna Alward’s in-depth research is seen in the numerous detailed descriptions. As with many historical fiction novels, this novel will enlighten those who have not heard of the Halifax Explosion or know only the bare bones of the event. The story will relate to readers the importance of Halifax during the war, the effects of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) and the response to the explosion, in particular from Boston, Halifax’s sister city. When the World Fell Silent is a highly recommended summer read.
What follows is a well-written and well-researched story of the experiences of Nora and Charlotte in the aftermath of the explosion, and into the following year.
Since 2006, New York Times bestseller Donna Jones Alward has enchanted readers with stories of happy endings and homecomings that have won several awards and been translated into over a dozen languages. She’s worked as an administrative assistant, teaching assistant, in retail and as a stay-at-home-mom, but always knew her degree in English Literature would pay off, as she is now happy to be a full-time writer. Her new historical fiction tales blend her love of history with characters who step beyond their biggest fears to claim the lives they desire.
Publisher: One More Chapter, an imprint of HarperCollins (July 19, 2024)
Paperback | 384 pages
ISBN: 9780008688752
Sue Slade has a Bachelor of Child Study from Mount St. Vincent University in Halifax. After working with children and adults with special needs, she now has her midlife dream job of working with books. Sue manages an independent, locally owned bookstore, Dartmouth Book Exchange. Through her charismatic sharing centred around books and community, Sue has created an engaging cornerstone for authors, customers, and book lovers of all ages. Sue is an avid reader and her reviews cross over many genres.
