Book ~ "When the World Fell Silent" (2024) Donna Jones Alward

From Goodreads ~ A story of loss, hope and redemption against the most impossible odds. 1917. Halifax, Nova Scotia.

Nora Crowell wants more than her sister’s life as a wife and mother. As WWI rages across the Atlantic, she becomes a lieutenant in the Canadian Army Nursing Corp. But trouble is looming and it won’t be long before the truth comes to light.

Having lost her beloved husband in the trenches and with no one else to turn to, Charlotte Campbell now lives with his haughty relations who treat her like the help. It is baby Aileen, the joy and light of her life, who spurs her to dream of a better life.

When tragedy strikes in Halifax Harbour, nothing for these two women will ever be the same again. Their paths will cross in the most unexpected way, trailing both heartbreak and joy its wake.

It's 1917 and Nora is a nurse with the Canadian Army Nursing Corp in Halifax, Nova Scotia. She is living with her sister and her sister's family and while she loves them, that's not the life she wants. She loves being a nurse and is very good at it. Charlotte's husband was killed overseas and since she has no family, she and her baby are forced to lived with her in-laws who treat her like a servant.

As if Halifax didn't have enough going on as an important port during WWI, the Halifax Explosion happened ... two ships collided in the harbour and wiped out much of the north end of Halifax, killing and wounding many.

As a nurse, Nora is tending to the wounded while wondering whether her family survived the explosion since she knew they were heading to the waterfront. Charlotte wakes up in the hospital and doesn't know whether her baby or in-laws survived the explosion. What follows is how Nora and Charlotte react to the ramifications of the disaster.

I like history and since I'm originally from Nova Scotia and knew about the Halifax Explosion, I thought it would be interesting to see how it would incorporated into a novel. I think the author did a good job describing what was happening and what everyone must have been going through before, during and after the explosion. It is written in first person perspective in Nora and Charlotte's voices. They had tough decisions to make and did what they had to do given their circumstances.