No Safe Harbour: The Halifax Explosion Diary of Charlotte Blackburn

Dear Canada

by Julie Lawson

Charlotte struggles to find her twin brother after the rest of her family is killed in the tragic Halifax explosion.

No Safe Harbour is set in the months before and after the December 6, 1917 Halifax explosion, which was the largest man-made blast in history until the dropping of the atomic bomb on Hiroshima. The explosion levelled most of the city and sent shards of glass and burning debris flying for miles. It left thousands dead, blinded or homeless.

Suddenly orphaned, Charlotte turns to her diary to help her cope with the events that killed her entire family — leaving her older brother, still fighting in the trenches of WWI, as her only surviving relative. This is an affecting story of loss and recovery, powerfully told by award-winning author Julie Lawson.

Genres: Historical Fiction, Canada, Young Adult, Fiction, Childrens, Historical, Middle Grade

240 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2006

About the author

Julie Lawson is the award-winning author of many books for young people. Her novels include White Jade Tiger (winner of the Sheila A. Egoff Book Literature Prize and nominated for both the Canadian Library Association Book of the Year Award and the Silver Birch Award), Destination Gold, and The Ghost of Avalanche Mountain. Among her acclaimed picture books are The Dragon’s Pearl, Emma and the Silk Train, Bear on the Train, and Whatever You Do, Don’t Go Near That Canoe! Her most recent novel, Ghosts of the Titanic, was released in Spring 2011.

Some of the events written about in A Ribbon of Shining Steel were based on the real-life experiences of Julie’s own grandfather, John Anderson, who was among the many immigrants needed to keep the CPR running smoothly.

Julie lives in Victoria, British Columbia.

Reviews

[Debbie W. · Rating 5 out of 5]

This particular book was truly eye-opening for me! I learned so much about this devastating man-made disaster that occurred on Canadian soil. One aspect that really stuck with me was the fact that so many people were blinded by the shattering glass from the windows they were looking through when they heard the initial crash - and then came the deadly explosion. It is truly heartwarming to learn that Boston sent a trainload of doctors and nurses to assist with the dying, wounded and homeless.

My youngest daughter owns the DEAR CANADA series and read them voraciously as a teenager. This series is a must-read for ALL Canadians (and even non-Canadians) - young and old alike! Written in diary form by a fictional girl, the reader gets a sense of what life may have been like during the specific event portrayed in each book. The non-fiction portion (maps, text, photos, newspaper articles) following the "diary" section is quite insightful. A matching ribbon bookmark adds to the feeling of the text's significance. I look forward to reading the entire series!

[Manybooks · Rating 4 out of 5]

Julie Lawson's 2006 No Safe Harbour: The Halifax Explosion Diary of Charlotte Blackburn (and part of the the Dear Canada series of fictional diaries) takes place in the months preceding and also in the months after the December 6, 1917 Halifax Explosion (the largest man-made blast in history until the dropping of the atomic bomb on Hiroshima), with the massive explosion in Halifax Harbour (after the collision of the French cargo ship SS Mont-Blanc and the Norwegian vessel Imo set alight and detonated the ammunitions, set ablaze the explosives being carried by the SS Mont-Blanc) and the resulting fires, collapsed buildings, tsunamis and the like destroying much of the city as well as leaving thousands dead, injured, homeless (and also many orphans). And yes, both Lawson's fictional journal for No Safe Harbour: The Halifax Explosion Diary of Charlotte Blackburn (with young Charlotte Blackburn being a wonderful, relatable and absolutely lovely as well as age appropriate diarist) and equally so the extensive historical details regarding the Halifax Explosion at the back of the book, these are both excellent (and that while I of course already knew the basics regarding the Halifax Explosion, there was quite a lot of factual details that were actually rather new to me, such as for example, how many people were watching the burning ships from their homes and were permanently blinded by flying glass shards when the blast blew out their windows, and that after that horrible explosion, there was a huge snow storm with freezing temperatures and punishing winds, which bien sûr made things much much worse for the injured, for the homeless, for basically everyone).

Now Julie Lawson starts No Safe Harbour: The Halifax Explosion Diary of Charlotte Blackburn with Charlotte Blackburn for her twelfth birthday (on September 12, 1917) receiving an extra-special present from her older brother Luke (who is in France as a soldier, fighting in WWI, in the so-called Great War against Germany), namely a blank book in which she can record all of her innermost thoughts and feelings without fear of repercussion, but with Luke also asking his sister to record all of the happenings regarding daily life on the home-front as well (and that in exchange, Luke will keep a similar diary in which he will write all about life in the trenches). And with the entire Blackburn family hugely missing Luke, yearning for his safe return from overseas, Charlotte therefore uses her diary diligently, just as her brother has instructed her to do (albeit equally so finding her journal book a really good place to vent about the unwarranted animosity she tends to experience and receive from her older and often nastily jealous sister Ruth, and also about how scared and how emotionally anxious Charlotte Blackburn often feels, that her twin brother Duncan is much less timid and is also considerably more willing and able to stand up to bullies).

So Charlotte in No Safe Harbour: The Halifax Explosion Diary of Charlotte Blackburn (prior to the explosion), Lawson has her enlighteningly and also very much delightfully penning information, thoughts and musings regarding her daily life in 1917 Halifax, about her sister Edith getting engaged, about going on milk runs with Haggarty, about knitting socks for overseas soldiers, about school, about her "mean" teacher Mr. Barker, with Charlotte also mentioning in No Safe Harbour: The Halifax Explosion Diary of Charlotte Blackburn her best friends Muriel Chisholm and Eva Heine but also showing and telling with much compassion (and even with some righteous outrage) how things keep growing more and more difficult each day for Eva and her family because her father is from Germany (with me really appreciating that Julie Lawson through the voice of Charlotte Blackburn describes and also points out in and throughout No Safe Harbour: The Halifax Explosion Diary of Charlotte Blackburn that the often vicious anti German sentiment being experienced by Eva and Werner Heine and their parents simply because the father is a German immigrant being something nasty, wrong and disgustingly bigoted, but also of course a historical fact and reality) as well as of course Charlotte in No Safe Harbour: The Halifax Explosion Diary of Charlotte Blackburn always being worried about Luke, and especially when news comes that her brother has been seriously injured in battle.

However, when in the early morning of December 6th, 2017, two large cargo ships collide in Halifax Harbour (see above), Charlotte Blackburn's life and the lives of thousands of Haligonians will of course and sadly never be the same. For after Charlotte awakens in hospital in No Safe Harbour: The Halifax Explosion Diary of Charlotte Blackburn, slowly recollects what happened and then also painfully pens this all in her journal entries, and indeed, not because she wants to but because she feels that she needs to for herself but even more so for her brother, for Luke (the explosion, the destruction, so very many people dead and so many others badly wounded), Charlotte Blackburn also has to come to terms with the fact that her parents, her older sisters Edith and Ruth, that basically everyone in her immediate family is dead (was killed by the explosion) except for her and her twin bother Duncan (and of course also Luke in Europe) and that with Duncan Blackburn, he is at first missing and presumed to be dead as well, and that Halifax, that Charlotte's community is in utter ruins. But indeed and very slowly, Charlotte and Duncan Blackburn do finally begin the long and arduous process of putting that horror-filled day of the explosion and its aftermath behind them as best as they can and to go on living and even thriving. But yes, I also have to say that the presented family issues of No Safe Harbour: The Halifax Explosion Diary of Charlotte Blackburn, how Charlotte Blackburn's mother was disowned by her parents for marrying "beneath her" and that Charlotte and Duncan finally end up being adopted by those grandparents, this kind of (at least for me) feels a bit tacked on and not all that smoothly incorporated by Lawson into No Safe Harbour: The Halifax Explosion Diary of Charlotte Blackburn, that it kind of seems a bit like a narrative tool being used by Julie Lawson to keep Charlotte and Duncan together and with a found family, not enough for me to be hugely bothered, but that this does somewhat lessen my reading pleasure regarding No Safe Harbour: The Halifax Explosion Diary of Charlotte Blackburn and lowers my rating from five to four stars).
     
Finally, No Safe Harbour: The Halifax Explosion Diary of Charlotte Blackburn brings the tragedy of the Halifax Explosion into sharp and clear focus, with Lawson through Charlotte Blackburn's narration and her diary contents showing readers the rhythm of daily life in Halifax in 1917 and which of course makes the impact of the explosion feel even greater since the disaster and its aftermath totally shattered splinter apart said rhythm. Highly and warmly recommended is No Safe Harbour: The Halifax Explosion Diary of Charlotte Blackburn and even with my above mentioned issues regarding the family dynamics and parental estrangement scenario regarding Charlotte Blackburn's parents, the combination of the fictional diary and the historical background Julie Lawson provides, yes, No Safe Harbour: The Halifax Explosion Diary of Charlotte Blackburn is both on my Goodreads Favourites shelf and is also one of the best and one of the most engaging instalments of the Dear Canada series I have read to date.

[Watchdogg · Rating 5 out of 5]

No Safe Harbour: The Halifax Explosion Diary of Charlotte Blackburn (Dear Canada Series) by Julie Lawson
240 page HC published in 2006 by Scholastic Canada

GR Blurb -
Charlotte struggles to find her twin brother after the rest of her family is killed in the tragic Halifax explosion.

No Safe Harbour is set in the months before and after the December 6, 1917 Halifax explosion, which was the largest man-made blast in history until the dropping of the atomic bomb on Hiroshima. The explosion levelled most of the city and sent shards of glass and burning debris flying for miles. It left thousands dead, blinded or homeless.

Suddenly orphaned, Charlotte turns to her diary to help her cope with the events that killed her entire family — leaving her older brother, still fighting in the trenches of WWI, as her only surviving relative. This is an affecting story of loss and recovery, powerfully told by award-winning author Julie Lawson.

My thoughts -
I read this YA historical novel for the first time a few years ago after reading an article in Yankee Magazine about the relationship that developed between the good folks in Boston, MA and the victims in Halifax, Nova Scotia following the devastating blast that leveled most of that city. The Bostonians rallied to provide thousands of tons of relief supplies, medical and other support and this act of humanitarian kindness has been recognized every year since with the Nova Scotians sending the City of Boston a Christmas Tree for their Common.

I wanted to read this one again as all of a sudden many of us Americans are disturbed by the political chasm that has arisen between our two countries, and I really wanted to revisit a time when the Americans rose to the occasion to help out our neighbors to the north. The fictionalized diary of a young girl who survived this tragedy is followed by a section providing facts and photos from the actual historical record. 5 stars and highly recommended.

[Bibliovoracious · Rating 5 out of 5]

My first Dear Canada book...sigh...:)

Leading to the rapid devouring of all the other Dear Canada's. Wow, this series is amazing. Every one so incredibly interesting, well researched, written and edited. I learned something I didn't know from every single one (often a startling number of things). My knowledge of Canadian history has been significantly enriched.

Each Dear Canada is a diary written from the point of view of a 12 or 13 year old girl, usually lasting about a year of her life, as she experiences a major historical event. They do not fluff up the tragedy, misery, and pain, either- all the typical features of major historical events. The little girls endure, survive and observe with authentically keen 12 year old eyes. Brilliant YA fiction!

This one blew me out away right out of the gate (harharhar). The Halifax explosion for all the romantic remembering and memorial cannon shots on the Citadel must have been a horrible, horrible thing to have lived through. Absolutely terrifying. Children were moved out of the city as it burned and it was months before many were reunited with their families, or found out they were orphaned. The people who lived were blinded and deafened and wounded and trapped in collapsed, burning buildings. This book made it very vivid.

[Shawna Hunter · Rating 5 out of 5]

If Charlotte Blackburn were a real person I would want to seek out her grave to pay my respects. I know the history and I've even been privileged to know people (like my father, born 1939) who met the amazing generation that survived 2 world wars, the spanish flu, the great depression and so many other horrors that our generation can scarce imagine but this book, through the eyes of an amazing little girl, made it all so much more real. I wept, openly and unashamedly, many times reading this and I will many more times remembering it. The line "All I can remember thinking is, the Germans must have come. This must be No Man's Land" will haunt me for the rest of my life.

It isn't the reality of what DID happen, however, that makes this book so powerfully moving it's the reality of what COULD happen again. It's not the thought that Charlotte could be my grandmother but that Charlotte could be my daughter. To imagine a child, your child, facing those horrors and that pain it's not something any human being can cope with easily. Nor is the lesson that we must leave a record of who we were and of what we went through. We must tell our stories and keep our histories to inspire, reflect and remember. Yes this is a work of fiction but it conveys the spirit of more than just Canadians but of an entire generation of human beings who made this world what it is today. The Halifax explosion was, in the end, a flash of light that killed a few thousand. Barely a footnote in the history of the War to end all wars (if only that were true) but the spirit of the people who survived, who rebuilt and who carried the scars of that day THAT was reflected so strongly in this book that it skyrocketed to the top of my must read list.

[Georgia · Rating 5 out of 5]

Tragic and Gripping, "No Safe Harbour" centers around mysterious protagonist Charlotte Blackburn. Charlotte lives happily in the north end of Halifax with her parents and three of her four siblings (the eldest is fighting on the front lines in France). For the first few months of recording, we get a vivid picture of her life. This includes reading the "Anne of Green Gables" series, helping out an elderly friend on the Milk Run, going to school, and hanging out with her twin brother and best friend, Duncan. Then unexpectedly, disaster strikes. Two ships collide in the harbor, one overloaded with explosives, causing a massive explosion destroying half of the city leaving Charlotte traumatized. Still, she scrounges out the courage to search for Duncan after the rest of the family was killed. She does eventually find Duncan and finds out the dark secrets about her mother's past. Together they find their long-lost maternal grandparents and live in their house with Luke (the soldier brother) visiting after being wounded in France.

This is one of the best books in the series and probably the most well-known. The author makes the story so gripping that she makes even the everyday stuff exciting and enthralling. This book is flawless.

Fun Fact: During my second time reading this book, it says on page No. 9 that Lillian (Charlotte's mother) went to a ladies college in Boston. Later, it is noted that she graduated from Halifax Ladies College. This is not possible unless she went to the Boston-School early on and then transferred to the Halifax-School for her final years of Highschool.

[Susan · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a solid read. I liked the protagonist, Charlotte Blackburn. I appreciated the emotional depth that Lawson gave to this character, e.g. Charlotte was 'allowed' to hate one of her sisters (and the sister really did treat her badly). I appreciated too that Charlotte, while framed as timid and worrying at the start of the book was allowed to grow and develop during the story while still being Charlotte all the way through. Aside from that, I appreciated that Charlotte, while seen as timid and worrying to her family and friends was also shown to be thoughtful and thinking through the thoughts expressed in this book, her (fictional) diary.

The setting and times of the book were well-portrayed. I thought it was great that although this book is aimed for younger people, Lawson refrained from dumbing down the topic. Lawson also included some of the harder details that come with a setting of a country at war, in this case with a family member (Charlotte's older brother) fighting overseas, as well as those from the Halifax Explosion, a very tragic event in Canadian history.

Overall, this book was wonderful read; emotionally difficult at time (due to the subject matter) but worth it. I will read both more books in this series and by this author.

[Emma McDonnell · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is my favourite of the Dear Canada books. These books are a great way to get girls interested in the history of Canada.

[Madison · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is definitely my very favourite Dear Canada book. I really enjoyed reading it. The Halifax Explosion is very interesting to learn about,and is definitely my favourite topic in Canadian history.

The book starts out in September, on twelve-year-old Charlotte Blackburn's birthday. It continues to introduce you to her family, and she often writes about how her brother, Luke, is away fighting in WWI. She writes down her troubles, and about most things that go on in her life, finally leading up the the day of Thursday, December 6th, 1917.

***SPOILERS***

On December 6th, she writes how she wakes up and it about to go out and help her friend Haggarty, and then continues on to another paragraph where she finds herself in the hospital after the Explosion. She is very confused, and stops writing. Then later, she writes what she remembers about the day. A few days later, she starts writing something, almost like a newspaper titled:

Charlotte's Composition: Thursday, December 6th, 1917

She writes about the Explosion, then later that day writes Part 2, describing how she went back to her house, which was in ruins, and finds her mother nearly dead and one of her siblings trapped underneath their collapsed piano. She thinks it was her twin brother, Duncan, but later finds out it was her 15-year-old sister, Ruth. She hears news that her father and eldest sister, Edith, have died, and that Duncan is still missing. Later, she finds her dog, Kirsty, and goes to live with her friend Muriel.

When she finds Duncan, he explains that he has seen "Dragon Man", who is a fictional character that the twins wrote stories about. He claims that he was inspired to write about dragon man from a scary man that he and their mum met in a park one day. They later find out that he is their grandfather who their mum hardly spoke to after she married their father. They live with him and their grandmother, and the book ends when Charlotte goes to practice playing the piano.

[MaryJane · Rating 3 out of 5]

Because I have loved historical fiction for as long as I can remember, I have read many of the Dear America books. It reminded me of my love affair with the Land of the Free series from the 50's and 60's. I recently ordered the Dear Canada series for the middle school library, and I plan to read my way through the 22 or so volumes available.

This book is set in 1917, the same time that the Anne of Green Gables books were being published. There are several references to the characters reading the Anne books and pretending to be Anne and Diana. I loved this, especially since I had just recently read them all in order myself!

[Young Adult Historical Vault · Rating 5 out of 5]

Five stars. I loved, loved, loved this book. Wonderfully written and beautifully told, a tearjerker that still manages to pack in loads of historical detail without veering into teacher mode. For my money it's the best Dear Canada by quite a long shot. Emotionally manipulative in the very best of ways, it appeals to both kids and adults.

For my full recap and review including spoilers, check out Young Adult Historical Vault. https://yahistoricalvault.com/2016/12...

[S · Rating 5 out of 5]

Read this at age ten, has to put it down because i was shaking and crying in bed. finished it, loved it. reread it now at 26, and i still had to put the book down at the same spot. this book stands the test of time!

[Liz · Rating 1 out of 5]

Uh.. not a fantastic book. In fact, it took too much time to find interest in picking it up.

[Anne · Rating 5 out of 5]

I wanted to cry. But it's one of the best in this serie.

[Twyla · Rating 5 out of 5]

My Favourite part was when Charlotte, Duncan, and Luke found their grandparents to live with. The worst part was when Ruth, their mom, their dad, and Edith died in the explosion.

[k✨ · Rating 4 out of 5]

i read this book just to keep my head over water for my goodreads challenge and it was actually quite good!

[Rapunzel1400 · Rating 5 out of 5]

Oh my goodness! This book helped me understand just how tragic the Halifax Explosion was.

[Sasha · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved it the best series I have ever read

[Sarah · Rating 4 out of 5]

Heart wrenching about sums it up! I found this at Value Village and got it for $1 so I decided to give it a try. My kids both loved the diary style of writing. The characters were very likeable in the beginning and they enjoyed the tales of school, family, etc. I was worried, because I knew what was coming, and wasn't sure if they were going to be able to handle the devastating story to come. I did censor quite a few parts of the story such as the mentions of people on fire, headless bodies, and other similar details of the explosion aftermath. I liked that there was such honesty about the tragedy experienced through the perspective of a child, but was still a book about a child with snippets about Christmas and sledding. The book provided a good description of Halifax before and after the explosion. I struggled to read many of the parts out loud simply because they were so heart wrenching. But in the end, my kids (aged 5 & 7) weren't traumatized and now they know about a piece of our Canadian history.

I will likely be reading more of these Dear Canada stories with them.

[Jenessa P · Rating 4 out of 5]

It was an easy life back in Halifax, Nova Scotia. Charlotte Blackburn was an ordinary girl in the small city, with an anoying "older" twin, Duncan. Charlotte was doing fine with her family until the explosion. It kills half her family, and many of the citizens of Halifax. Fortunatly, Charlotte survived. She worries about her brother, Duncan. Where is he? Is he even alive? And where will Charlotte stay? She can't stay in the hospital forever.

"Bodies were lying everywhere. Nothing moved, no one spoke. And then the screaming began. I thought it was the end of the world." (Charlotte Blackburn, page 103). What caused the explosion, anyway? Read the book and find out!


I recommend this book for adventure/action story lovers. The ending was amazing, but I didn't like how they waited so long until the explosion. I also liked how the auothor had a lot of details throughout the story. It's book for you if you like adventure, action, and long novels.

[Ellen Hamilton · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was, by far, the saddest, the most heart-wrenching, and tear-inducing Dear Canada book.

[Tess · Rating 5 out of 5]

As an adult reading this, I can safely say it's one of the most poignant and saddest children's books. It's an excellent introduction to a historical event that occurred in Canada and I know it's one of my favourites to collect for any future children of my own. Lawson does a great job of showing you the regular day to day life of a fictional diarist the months before the devastation, so it really guts you when the explosion occurs and the characters need to deal with the aftermath. Highly recommend it to kids wanting to introduce themselves to history, but just know you'll need some tissues handy.

[Tianna · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read this book close to 5 years ago, but my memories of it are still very clear. It is written really well, and with such a topic as the Halifax Explosion, it really stays with you! The struggles and events are still vivid! The series is really amazing, Dear Canada was a favorite of mine as a kid and I learned a lot about Canada, our history, and what life was like at different times. They are short but still full of information, and you get to know the character and what their life was like. I love it!!

[Shanelle · Rating 4 out of 5]

No Safe Harbour is another book from the Dear Canada series, about a young girl named Charlotte Blackburn, who has survived the Halifax Explosion. With the help of her diary, Charlotte recounts her story of how she survived the explosion and recounts the stories of other survivors, as well as those who were lost.
This book is full of surprises and will bring tears and laughter to those reading it.

[Renae · Rating 4 out of 5]

Periodically I'm reminded of how much interesting history is out there that I have absolutely no knowledge of.

I found this fascinating--and as the Scholastic Diaries go, one of the better ones I've read. Why are the Dear Canada titles so much better--and thorough--than the Dear America titles?

Realistic and honest. Very good.

[SusanwithaGoodBook · Rating 4 out of 5]

I picked this up while in Halifax on vacation. I'd never heard about the explosion until that trip. After seeing the museum displays I wanted to read more. This is a children's book but it's a well written and documented account of life in Halifax before, during, and after that event. It also includes stuff about the war and other important details of that time period. I found it fascinating.

[Meghan · Rating 5 out of 5]

My favorite in the series, though I still have critiques. Charlotte constantly mixes past and present tense and I am not overly fond of the religious tone, though it’s not necessarily overbearing. A decent chunk of the plot is slow until it gets to the Explosion. Then it moves along fast until it tapers off at the end. The epilogue could have been trimmed down.

[Macklin · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of my favourite Dear Canada books. I just love Charlotte. She is so insecure but so smart. I love her Anne of Green Gables plays. Her family. Her twin. Always thought it would be cool to have a twin. Also, this had a sort of fairytale ending, but the story still felt real. I don't i just really like this one.

[Teresa · Rating 5 out of 5]

No Safe Harbour was sad to read. To lose part of your family to an unexpected event and have your entire life turned upside down had to be difficult for the real citizens of Halifax, NS.
Julie Lawson tells Charlotte's story with clarity and made you feel as if you were right there with Charlotte and her family. One of the harder books to read in the series.

[Mary Foxe · Rating 4 out of 5]

I knew about the Halifx Explosion because of an episode ofStuff You Missed in History Class and another Dear Canada book, Brothers Far From Home. I though I knew what I was getting into. I thought I was prepared.

I was a sobbing mess. It was beautifully written and heart-wrenching. This is an important book about an event that (at least in America) is not discussed enough.