When the World Fell Silent

by Donna Jones Alward, Laurence Bouvard (Narrator), Ivana Rakić (Narrator)

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…

Genres: Historical Fiction, Fiction, Book Club, Audiobook, Historical, Canada, World War I

Audiobook

First published July 19, 2024

About the author

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.

Donna currently lives in Nova Scotia, Canada, with her husband and two cats. You can often find her near the water, either kayaking on the lake or walking the sandy beaches to refill her creative well.

Find out more at www.donnajonesalward.com

Reviews

[Marialyce · Rating 5 out of 5]

Oh did I love this story taking place in Canada during World War 1.

Resilience, fortitude and courage when faced with numerous tragedies is the theme of this well done story about the Halifax Explosion in 1917.

The main character, Nora Crowell, has a fine life surrounded by family and her ambition to becoming a nurse has been fulfilled. However, the war is raging and her brother in law is fighting in Europe. Nora is staying with her sister when she meets and falls for a young soldier and even though she doesn't love him, she becomes pregnant after one encounter.

Charlotte Campbell is forced to live with her nasty in laws since her husband was killed in the trenches and has a daughter she is devoted to but then tragedy happens and the world for these two woman becomes one of loss, tragedy, and yearning.

The tragedy is the the collision of two ship, one of which was carrying explosives. The explosions that occur decimate everything and everyone around the harbor and both woman lose what they cherished the most.

How both Charlotte and Nora handle and survive what is left to them is a journey that is hard to describe. Once again the tragedy of war is brought to us and the human lives lost are never forgotten.

and once again I learned of something I never knew of, the Halifax tragedy.

This was truly a story of courage and the spirit of how people can and do carry forth after such loss and mortality.
https://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.c...

[Lindsey · Rating 5 out of 5]

This will easily make my favorite books of the year. I fell in love with Nora and Charlotte from the start. Each facing their own challenges as they navigate life during WWI. Then the Halifax explosion happens and they are thrown into a whirlwind. We get to know them before during and after that tragic day. This was full of mystery, twists, romance and the importance of family. I could not have loved this book more.

[Karren Sandercock · Rating 5 out of 5]

Nora Crowell leaves Chester and studies to be a nurse, she wants to do more with her life than be a wife and mother like her sister Jane. Nora works at Camp Hill Hospital, she cares for soldiers who have been wounded in The Great War and she’s a lieutenant in the Canadian Army Nursing Corp and would like to serve overseas. Nora lives at her sisters boarding house in Halifax, Nova Scotia, Jane’s husband is fighting in the war, and she has two young daughters Evelyn and Clara.

Charlotte Campbell is a widow, her husband Frank died in the war and she lives with his family and they treat her like a servant. What keeps her going is her daughter Aileen, when she can she takes her baby for a walk in her pram and they sleep in the attic together and Charlotte is plotting their escape.

Both women have no idea disaster is about to strike in the busy Halifax Harbour, where convoys leave for Britain and France and what starts off as an ordinary day, and the 6th of December 1917 will be remembered as the date of the biggest tragedies in Canadian history occurred.

A loud noise and smoke is what the residents first see and hear when two ships collide in the harbour, lots of people are already there and others go to have a look and are gazing out their house windows. Nora is busy taking care of patients and some are suffering from shell shock, the blast causes the men to panic and their trying to calm them down.

They hear what’s happened, the hospital prepares for injured people, and they have no idea that in a few hours every medical facility in Halifax will be overrun by wounded civilians, the damage to both people and buildings is unimaginable and the chaos afterwards.

I received a copy of When the World Fell Silent by Donna Jones Alward from HarperCollins UK and NetGalley in exchange for an unbiased review. I knew Canadian soldiers fought in The Great War and I had no idea in Halifax and nearby Dartmouth were involved in one of the worst disasters in the country’s history and it happened at the same time and the widespread devastation.

A narrative about loss, thousands of people were killed, wounded and missing, buildings raised to the ground by the explosion and fires, it changed what duties nurses could do and the two women became connected in an unexpected way. My favorite characters were Nora and Jane, Captain Neil McLeod, Mrs. Thompson, Evelyn, John and Marvin and poor Charlotte.

A well written and heart-rending book about sisterhood, the importance of family and community, one of the best historical fiction novels I have read this year and five stars from me.

[theliterateleprechaun · Rating 4 out of 5]

“Hunker down and get at ‘er”

I appreciated this historical fiction debut by a Canadian author and set in Canada! Alward shares homefront stories centered around the 1917 Halifax Explosion - the largest man-made explosion until the atom bomb. A munitions ship destined for Europe exploded in the Halifax harbour killing nearly 2000 and injuring 9000 more. It left a whole section of the city demolished and thousands homeless.

Alward's story follows two young women, a war widow and mother, Charlotte Campbell, and a CANC ‘bluebird’ nurse, Nora Crowell, and shows readers how their lives became connected in the most shocking and devastating way.

Twenty-three year old Nora joins the Canadian Army Medical Corp as a nurse and rises to Lieutenant. She witnesses soldiers’ pain and struggles daily and, believing nobody is beyond help, she pushes herself to tend to them and their wounds. Readers are aware of her hopeless despair. Not only does she battle fatigue and a sense of futility, but frustration at serving at home instead of overseas … especially with Ally, her boyfriend, overseas fighting and a secret that she needs to keep hidden.

Charlotte is stuck between a rock and a hard place after losing her husband at The Somme, living with spiteful and resentful in-laws, and raising baby Aileen alone. Alward was able to show me how devastating it was to lose everything and have nobody to rely on. I understood what it must feel like to be holding onto hope for the sake of a child despite wanting to give up. I had a fresh appreciation for those who go through life just going through the motions. I knew at the 25% mark that I had to keep reading to find out what happened after the explosion.

You need to read this story about loss, love, hope and redemption against all odds. It’s the 107th anniversary this year of this tragedy and Alward's examination of choices and how her characters navigated this tragedy is a compelling read.

I’m looking forward to the next book, ‘The Coldest Night,’ which will be a Titanic-set historical fiction novel also with a Nova Scotia connection.

[Martine · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.5*
I'm in the minority for this one. I really wanted to like this more than I did, but it was just ok for me. I've been to the museum exhibit in Halifax, and I have read quite a few books about the Halifax explosion. It was such a tragic event in Canadian history, and I was hoping to learn more. Unfortunately, based on other books I've read, this novel didn't fully portray the depth of tragedy that occurred. It skims the surface. I agree with some of the other reviewers that the storyline is thin. Although I liked the main characters, it took a while for the story to really get going. Then, we ended up spending a lot of time in the characters' thoughts. I believe this is the author's first foray away from her romance novels. It's a good debut into historical fiction, but I had hoped for more.

[Amy · Rating 1 out of 5]

I was eager to read this story as I had never heard about the Halifax Explosion. Unfortunately, the characters’ internal monologue was unending and irritating. The story was extremely contrived and predictable. Nothing was left to the imagination. The characters moved through tragedies too simply-more robotic than human. If felt clunky and cold. I love historical fiction but not a fan of this authors writing style.

[Elizabeth of Silver's Reviews · Rating 5 out of 5]

We meet Nora, Charlotte, and their families in Halifax, Nova Scotia, during WWI and when an explosion in Halifax destroyed the entire area and killed many of their family members.

Both women are strong willed and determined. Nora is a nurse, and Charlotte is a widow since her husband was killed during the war.

Nora fell for a soldier and made a poor decision the evening before Alley left to fight. Her poor decision left her pregnant and with no word from Alley.

Charlotte had to live with her in-laws who treated her like the hired help instead of a daughter-in-law. Thank goodness they loved their granddaughter.

Everything changed for everyone after the explosion and especially these two women.

You will LOVE Nora, Charlotte, and Neil. Each one has a heart of gold and so much gentleness. You will cry for each of them for their sorrows but also cheer with them at their happiness.

WHEN THE WORLD FELL SILENT is a lovely, heartwarming read despite the heartaches, but a tribute to mankind during tragedies and the strength of family.

The book is based on a true event and had me looking for more information on the explosion. 5/5

Thank you to the author for a copy of this book. All opinions are my own.

[Clare · Rating 2 out of 5]

Found this a very light read.
Living in Halifax I was interested in the historical aspect of the book but I quickly got sick of reading “she gave a watery smile” and other similar weak repetitive descriptors. I found the characters unconvincing and skimmed through the last third of the book as I just wanted to get it done.

[Barbara · Rating 5 out of 5]

Everyone here knows that Donna is my co-host on Step into the Story and my best friend. She and I chat almost every day. So obviously I went into my reading primed to love the book, and spoiler alert: I did.

However, I want to try and give you as honest a review as I can.

When the World Fell Silent is Donna’s first historical fiction novel after writing fifty-plus romance novels. It’s the story of the 1917 Halifax Explosion. For those who don’t know, there was a collision in the narrows of Halifax harbor. A ship carrying munition exploded decimating a huge portion of the city. We’re talking whole neighborhoods leveled to the ground. Over 1700 people died and another 9000 were injured. Donna’s story follows two explosion survivors, Nora and Charlotte, who are connected in a surprising way.

As someone in the middle of a career pivot herself, I can tell you that switching genres can be difficult, especially when, like Donna, you have such a solid career established. This book manages to bridge the gap perfectly.

Of the two storylines, Charlotte’s drew me in the most, largely because of the manic desperation in it. A woman who has potentially lost everything and everyone, she’s barely keeping herself together. There are times when you can feel her grip on reality slipping and as the story unfolds, you can’t imagine it ending well. With Charlotte’s story, Donna really kicked it up a notch as a writer

Meanwhile, Nora’s storyline had a more familiar feel. Yes, there are times when it’s tragic and gritty. For example, the scene where Nora confronts her overwhelming loss is viscerally painful to read. And she doesn’t pull punches when it comes to bad things happening to good people. But underneath the grit and sadness is that hopeful, small-town sweetness readers have come to expect from Donna’s romances. Smart move on Donna’s part as it will entice a lot of her current readers to check out the book.

New and current Donna Alward readers won’t be disappointed.

When the World Fell Silent comes out this summer.

[Julianne MacLean · Rating 5 out of 5]

Donna Jones Alward has written an incredible historical fiction novel, and I was fortunate to read an early copy. WHEN THE WORLD FELL SILENT is a riveting tale about a little-known event in history: The Halifax Explosion during the First World War. Meticulously researched and full of atmospheric period details that will take your breath away, it’s an intimate portrait of two women whose fates are entwined in a most unexpected way. It’s the story of their resilience and survival in the face of unthinkable tragedy, and ultimately the power of love in all its forms. It's a captivating, wonderful read.

[Lynn · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is historical fiction about the great Halifax explosion of 1917, when two ships collided in the Narrows of the Halifax Harbor and exploded, leveling much of the town.

The story follows two women: Nora Crowell, a young dedicated nurse who finds herself in the middle of the chaos of the aftermath as she works hard at the hospital treating the numerous injured, and Charlotte Campbell, a war widow, who, with her baby daughter, Aileen, lives with her in-laws, who treat her like a servant. In the aftermath of the explosion, both these women find their lives, totally up ended as they cope with loss in unexpected life changes. Eventually, their lives intersect in ways that no one could have imagined.

The story alternates between telling Nora’s story and Charlotte’s story. You grow to care about each woman and what they are going through. The moment of the explosion is vividly described and you feel like you are there. Like a lot of historical fiction, the story is good at showing how the events felt rather than just telling what happened. (I have a non-fiction book about the explosion that I am also looking forward to reading.) The main problem with this book is that the writing is a bit florid and overwrought. At times it reads like a soap opera, but otherwise it is a good account of a significant event in Canadian history.

[Natalie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow! ‘When the World Fell Silent’ by Donna Jones Alward truly wrecked me. I started it late in the evening, after finishing a Regency romance, because I wanted something different. I had only planned on reading a few chapters, but the next thing I knew I was 67% through the book. I could not stop reading! I had to know what happened next for Nora and Charlotte and their friends and families. Who survived? Who didn’t? Would the missing ever be found? I was familiar with the Halifax explosion before this, but this book made the devastation feel so much more real. The loss of life was horrific, as were the countless injuries that Nora encountered during her work in the hours after the disaster.

The story is divided between two different women: Nora and Charlotte. Both have their own unique lives and both face devastating losses in the hours and days after the explosion. I did prefer Nora’s chapters, but that’s only because Charlotte’s baby made me think too much about what it would be like for me and my 1-year-old in that situation. Simply as the reader, I was exhausted just reading about the experiences these women went through! There’s so much that I want to talk about, but I don’t want to spoil anything.

The writing style of When the World Fell Silent is truly beautiful. Alward pulls you in and transports you to Halifax. There were moments when I couldn’t breathe because I was so caught up in Nora’s work as a nurse or Charotte’s desperate search for Aileen. The importance of family – found or born into – is made so clear throughout both women’s journeys. I genuinely cannot say enough good things about this book. In fact, I loved it so much that upon finishing, I immediately pre-ordered a copy for the book nook I created for my office building.

Needless to say, I will be reading more by the author again. Thank you to NetGalley, HarperCollins UK, and Donna Jones Alward for providing me with a free ARC in exchange for my honest review.

[Amanda Rae · Rating 2 out of 5]

This was not a good book. I'm not sure where all the 4 and 5 star reviews are coming from, but they are very misleading. It is poorly written and poorly edited, and contains nauseating, repetitive dialogue throughout. Every chapter contains some kind of discussion that goes as follows:

Person 1: You are the strongest, bravest, most wonderfulest person I've ever known!

Person 2: [I gave Person 1 a watery smile. How could Person 1 say that? They were way more wonderful than I].

Thank you, Person 1! I love you so much! I wouldn't be here without you!

Person 1: No, no! It is you, Person 2, whom I should thank!

Person 2: Oh heavens, no!

😒😒😒

The figures of speech are not consistent with the time period, and I lost count how many times the reader is reminded that the central character is a modern, ahead-of-her-time type gal who is terrible at housework. I hoped to enjoy this since it's about such a fascinating event in Canadian history, but I was sorely disappointed.

[Kayla Rebecca · Rating 3 out of 5]

I really liked that this historical fiction was written from a Canadian perspective in a Canadian city! However, overall, I felt that the story was a bit dragged out and lacked a certain finesse. The main character was too wishy-washy and inconsistent. Overall, very medium!

[Robyn · Rating 5 out of 5]

I had already had this book on my want-to-read list when Donna reached out to me thanks to a review given by one of my favourite authors: Genevieve Graham. And I am so incredibly thrilled to have received this as an ARC. I have been looking for well written Canadian historical fiction and this really hit the mark.
It was a great read. I'm from the Maritimes and I've been to the memorial for the explosion in Halifax, but admittedly I only knew the bare minimum of facts about it. The Halifax explosion was devastating, killing over 1700 people and injuring 9000 more.
This book will break your heart multiple times. It's set during the first world war, the time of the explosion, and the Spanish flu. There are a lot of sad events covered here and I cried. The characters were well written, likable, and it was easy to sympathize with them. Nora was a strong character, and Charlotte ripped my heart out. But even with all the loss and sadness, this book also shows you found family, support and love in difficult times, and hope.
I loved it.
I want more of this.

[Christi (christireadsalot) · Rating 3 out of 5]

This ended up just being okay, I think if you want more of a women’s fiction set in a historical time, then this might work for you. I had really high hopes for this one and it was just alright for me overall.

Basically we follow two women in 1917-1918 in Nova Scotia, we see a bit of the 1917 Halifax Explosion and these two women’s lives changing from there. I didn’t really feel connected to either of the characters, I was just along for the ride of the story but wasn’t emotionally drawn to them. Everything happened and I just thought “okay, makes sense” instead of anticipating/wanting to read more to see what happens next. The audiobook was fine and the story easy to follow, I just wasn’t blown away by the story or characters sadly. I wanted more of the historical aspect of this being a historical fiction instead of it being women’s fiction in a historical setting if that makes sense.

[Linda · Rating 5 out of 5]

Donna Jones Alward is a new author for me. Her book is amazing. It's so very touching and emotional. What she has written here is a beautiful story of a tragedy that actually happened in 1917 in Halifax Harbour. In Canada.

Two women from different families. From different backgrounds, but very much alike in so many ways. Nora and Charlotte.

Nora was a nurse and loved her job. She had no inkling of wanting to be a wife or mother. She had bigger plans and was on course to achieving them. She loved having fun and fond just a bit to much fun with Alley. He was set to leave for the war and they had a night of drinking and partying that ended with Nora expecting a baby. She lived with her sister and her sister's husband(who was gone to war) and their two daughters. Alley left and that was that. Nora was left to deal with things on her own but her sister promised to help her any way she could.

Charlotte was an orphan who had lost her family in a house fire. She married a man that she loved deeply. When he left to go overseas his family promised to take good care of her. And their unborn child. Charlotte's husband was killed in this war. His family did not treat her good. She was more or less just a slave to them. At least to his mother. Her and her baby lived in a cold attic room.

When an explosion hit the area from a burning ship many people were injured and killed. Everyone Charlotte knew. Nora's entire family except one niece. You will get to know these two women and care about them. What happens after the losses is truly awful. So much death and destruction.

This author did a great job of making you feel the sadness. And the happiness too. She took this historical event and did some great research. Kept the facts straight from what I read in her Author's Notes. It's a must read by the way. She took these families and made you feel their pain. From such deep loss to a love that one never knew she really wanted. To finding a lost child. A lost family member. And the hospital scenes read so vividly. I ached for the people who were hurt. Cringed at the thought of a bucket of eyeballs. Wept at the loss of children, sisters, mothers and fathers. Husbands. I felt so sad for Charlotte and so happy for Nora. Both women had such heartaches and losses. Both had ups and downs. I absolutely adored Neil. He was the best....

Thank you #NetGalley, #DonnaJonesAlward, #HarperCollinsUK for this ARC. This is my own true thoughts about this book.

Five huge stars.

[Karen J · Rating 4 out of 5]

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 1/2

I absolutely loved the story and the incredible characters right from the first page to the very last page.

[Tracey · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a beautifully written, entertaining historical fiction novel which is based on actual events. It is told from the point of view of two distinct, likable female protagonists, and has tragedy, heartbreak, healing, hope, and a gratifying conclusion. I was unfamiliar with the Halifax Explosion of 1917, and Ms. Jones Alward does an outstanding job portraying it. The audiobook was well narrated by Laurence Bouvard and Ivana Rakić. Many thanks to my Goodreads friend, Tina, whose glowing review led me to this gem..

[Kelly Anne · Rating 5 out of 5]

Standing-O for this wonderful debut novel from a fellow New Brunswicker. The Halifax Explosion is the most interesting event in Canadian history, IMHO, and this book really does it justice. The devastation, the desperation, and the incredible losses that thousands of Haligonians experienced on that December 6th and in the months and years afterwards are all expertly illustrated thru the fictional characters that the author has chosen to bring it all to life. From Camp Hill Hospital we feel Nora’s pain as she searches all the other hospitals and finally the morgue for her family, and Charlotte’s desperation searching for her baby daughter, a desperation that literally drives her crazy. There is a prominent love story but not at all what I would call a romance, something that so often detracts from the historical aspects of HF. These are all points that any reader will appreciate but what I, and I’m sure other fellow Maritimers will appreciate, are those local traditions like seafood chowder or tourtière for Christmas Eve, maple syrup candy over fresh snow, baked beans & brown bread, fish cakes from a “mess” of fish, hodge-podge (it is the season right now for that delish meal) or the pièce de résistance… chocolate cake with boiled icing!
Little historical tidbits are great like the optical doctor and his bucket of eyeballs (WOW, there’s one I hadn’t heard before), coffins that were sent to Halifax filled with much needed food, and another massively tragic event in Canada’s WWI history; the sinking of the Llandovery Castle where 14 nursing sisters died. Perhaps the author was thinking of Anna Stamers, a New Brunswicker who was among those poor souls. Also playing out over the course of the book is the last year of WWI and at the end of that the Spanish Flu pandemic.
The book wraps up with a great Author’s Note which details the actual facts of how and why the Explosion happened and goes on to provide a great reading list for those who want to dive down that rabbit hole (you won’t be sorry if you do).
I am so pleased that there is another Canadian author writing great HF about our county’s history. I look forward to her next book, and her next, and her next. 5 stars from me!

[Sandy · Rating 3 out of 5]

The historical information was short and thin. I liked the characters and the happy endings but felt the story was predictable and repetitive at times. The historical information seemed basic. 3.5*

[Jillann · Rating 4 out of 5]

A light read. Not the best writing, but giving 4 stars for imagining what it was like to be a survivor of the Halifax explosion.

[Catrin Dimitrova · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love historical fiction, strong women, learning something new about Halifax’s history and of course a little romance - this quick read did not disappoint!!

[Shannon · Rating 3 out of 5]

An interesting historical fiction debut that focuses on the Halifax explosion of 1917 and its aftermath as told from the perspective of two women. The story looks at motherhood, found family, women's work during the wars, especially nursing and more. While this was an okay read it did teach me more about this aspect of Canadian history and is recommended for fans of books like Tides of honour by Genevieve Graham and the movie Pearl Harbor.

[Katie · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'm giving this book a 3 because historical fiction novels covering lesser known events in history are important, and I did learn some things that happened during WWI that I didn't know. However, I felt like the characters in this book were just so lackluster and hollow.
I find it odd when people in books just simply.... get over their immense grief. No working through it, no meltdowns, nothing. They just cry for a minute, and later that day, everything is back to normal?
Neither women in this story get the life they dreamed of. One dreams of being a nurse and has little interest in being a wife or mother. Instead, after basically her entire family dies (with the exception of her sisters young children), she ends up getting pregnant, marrying a man she doesn't love (who isn’t the baby daddy), and raising like 5+ kids. The other is married to the love of her life, who is killed in the war. She is treated like Cinderella by her inlaws. Then she loses their baby daughter (and her entire family) in an explosion (it is never revealed if her baby survived). Afterward, she is so drowning in grief that she essentially steals a child of similar age and appearance until, months later, she is caught by woman one in a completely random and insanly unlikely encounter, and returns the girl to her actual family. She walks out into the ocean with the intention of ending it, as she has lost quite literally every single one of her loved ones. For some reason, not really explained, she doesn't off herself, and instead decides to just move on. 🤷🏻‍♀️
At the end of the book, both women just accept their unwanted lots in life, and both feel that 'it is alright now'.
This one just falls so flat. It should've been deep and moving and horribly sad. And it just wasn't. This isn't how people respond to such unbelievable tragedy. These are the types of things that ruin lives forever. Sure, you pick up the pieces and hopefully find a way to continue on, but you don't just shrug and say it's all fine now, especially not just a couple of (terrible) months later.
This entire book is just tragedy after tragedy after tragedy, but it's so hard to feel anything for these characters because *they* don't feel anything.

[Lynn · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 stars. Living across the Harbour from Halifax in Dartmouth made reading this very interesting. I’d read Barometer Rising in high school and there are always anniversary remembrances about the blast, plus one of the anchors that got blown from one of the ships and embedded on the Dartmouth side of the harbour is still there as a reminder, but this book gave a little more insight into how horrific it must have been for the survivors. I think it was probably more hellacious than it came across in the book, but it did make the terrible suffering of the blast and the blizzard that followed feel more real. The only thing that was disappointing is that I listened to the audiobook and there were mispronunciations of street names and I’m sure that Boutiliere (I don’t know how it was spelled in the book) should not have been pronounced Boot-till-ee-aa but should have been pronounced Boot-Lee-er. Gottingen St was another that was weirdly pronounced. It would have benefited from a Nova Scotian narrator and from a man reading the male parts. Those are small quibbles though.

[Susan Peterson · Rating 5 out of 5]

When the World Fell Silent is a very special historical fiction novel, the kind you can lose yourself in as you are transported to a very sad and challenging part of history. I was instantly transported to the year 1917, to the port city of Halifax, Nova Scotia. Canada and the world are embroiled in the Great War, and in the midst of those losses, a horrific explosion rocks the harbor town. We see the events, time, and place through the eyes of Nora and Charlotte, two women whose lives are deeply affected by it all. Each of their stories were touching and tragic, as they have to navigate a world they never could have imagined. They are both strong, resilient women, who love and mourn and do the very best they can under extremely tough circumstances. As an American, I’ve always had an interest in the history of our neighbor to the north, and this fantastic book taught me about events I’d never heard of before. Ultimately, this is a book about family, sisterhood, and all of the sacrifices and decisions women make every day, no matter the place or era during which they live.

[Abby Driscoll · Rating 1 out of 5]

This was… not good. The author did a lot of telling rather than showing. As a result, the characters’ experience of a tragic event felt surface level and clunky. The writing was poor and the dialogue was repetitive for such ambitious subject matter.

[Sylvia Mandville · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of the best books I ever read…Canadian non-fiction about life after the 1917 explosion in Halifax harbour. Couldn’t put it down.

[Paula Weatherly · Rating 5 out of 5]

I enjoyed learning about yet another historical event that I didn’t know happened and my heart broke for the people who lived through it. Although this book was a little slow at times, I loved Nora from the beginning and enjoyed the novel. I appreciated the ending, as I was worried how everything might turn out.