Miracles and Mysteries: The Halifax Explosion December 6, 1917

by Mary Ann Monnon

Mary Anna Monnon’s father was one of the lucky survivors of the Halifax Explosion, the great World War One disaster that devastated Halifax and killed over two thousand people. His personal story, along with the stories of other survivors, are woven into this captivating account of the events leading up to and following the explosion of the munitions ship Mont Blanc in Halifax Harbour. Monnon begins the story in the days just prior to the explosion, providing news items, ads, and public notices that give readers fresh insight into life in the city at that time. Monnon’s interviewees provide candid recollections of where they were and their initial responses to the disaster. What emerge are unusually personal stories of confusion, injury, loss, and the eventual resurgence of hope-raw remembrances that bring back into sharp focus those first days on the ground.

Miracles and Mysteries is a reminder of the tragedy of war, and how ordinary people respond to overwhelming and inexplicable events.

Genres: History, Nonfiction

144 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2011

Reviews

[Shanlon Gilbert · Rating 1 out of 5]

There are several factual errors before the book even begins to address the explosion. For example, the Halifax Citadel was built between 1828 and 1856, meaning it took 28 years to build, not 30 as the author claims. It took less than a chapter for this book to lose credibility with me. In addition, the sentence structure is frequently awkward and the text fails to be precise, leaving ample potential for readers to misinterpret intended meanings (or in other words: it misrepresents history). I was thoroughly disappointed with this book and would never recommend it to anyone looking to learn about the Explosion. "Curse of the Narrows", "The Town That Died", or anything Janet Kitz has written are all far superior options.

[Jen Juenke · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book I was so excited to read, I had picked it up in Halifax at the Maritime Museum.
I was disgusted by the writing and how the author put in her own words and exclamations.

This added nothing to my understanding of the Great Halifax Explosion and I would not recommend it to anyone.

[Amanda Rae · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book has some low reviews and I'm not sure why. It was very informative and helpful to me, not to mention interesting learning about all these peoples stories who had lived through the explosion. I was fascinated to learn more about that during a recent trip to Halifax and picked up this little book to learn more. I enjoyed it entirely!