Too Many to Mourn

by James Mahar, Rowena

Using the facts and family tales of the terrible Halifax Explosion, James and Rowena Mahar have created a compelling story of loss and grief and the triumph of faith over great obstacles. Winner of the Dartmouth Book Award, 1999.

Genres: Nonfiction, History, Canada

224 pages, Paperback

First published July 1, 1998

Reviews

[Sue Slade · Rating 5 out of 5]

“It had taken less than ten seconds to destroy a city and the lives of thousands. For the survivors it had been a hundred lifetimes.”

In this heart-wrenching narrative, James and Rowena Mahar recount the time before and after, down to the seconds, of the causes and effects of the Halifax Explosion. They combine science, geography, and personal recounts to deliver this devastating and tragic story of loss caused by the explosion, in particular to the community of Richmond in Halifax’s North End, and specifically to the Jackson family. Winner of the Dartmouth Book Award, this story was well-researched and delivered in a fashion that, while devastating, reconstructed an unbelievable event in time for future generations to read and get a clear and detailed picture of this horrific incident in our history. The largest man-made explosion in the world until the detonation of the atomic bomb, an event that should never be forgotten.

“Fewer than eight seconds after the blast more than a thousand were dead. In the next days a thousand more would die. By far the largest percentage of those who died were children.”

“Of the sixty-six members of the Jackson family who were in the Richmond area the morning of December 6th, 1917, forty-six were killed. Of the surviving twenty, the majority were seriously injured. This was the largest loss of life suffered by one family group in the Halifax Explosion.”

[Melissa · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book has special meaning for me, my Grandmother Dorothy Jackson-Morse was a survivor, and this book was written by her cousin(Author James Mahar), My Grandmother did not openly speak about the events of that day, or the loss of nearly everyone she knew and loved, so it was both eye-opening, and heartbreaking to have this as a form of reference, something to help me understand a very complex, often sad woman.

[Diane Poulin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Discovered this book while on vacation in Nova Scotia and what I want to know is this: with the US and Nova Scotia so close in proximity, why did I never learn/hear of this disaster? A fantastic, yet horrifying, book. Very detailed. Fair amount of black and white photos to illustrate the befores and afters.

[Roxann Gray · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have always been a Canadian, so it is unbelievable to have not have been taught about the Halifax Explosion in school! The first memory I have is of the CBC 1 minute videos during the 70's, depicting a telegraph operator stopping a train entering the city via telegraph . I saw James, on an old interviewed, being replayed, and ordered the book. My first time reading was in 2009, and I just finished it again and feel like I could start a 3rd read right NOW! The beginning is a little daunting as he introduces so many characters, but as the story evolves, you feel connected to each family member. The detail is amazing; the damage, the carnage, the breakdown of how the explosion played out, the information on all the different forces created by the explosion and how each effected the city and it's residents. It is a sad story, as the title indicates, however it is also the story of the human spirit, how different people react and how they overcome the most unimaginable experiences and move on with life. Not a story for the faint of heart, but a absolutely wonderful depiction on a vital part of our history and the human spirit. This is a book I highly recommend and will definitely read again!

[Linda · Rating 4 out of 5]

A detailed account of the Halifax Explosion of 1917, and the profound effect it had on one large family. The detail in the book is amazing. It is of course a very sad story, but in the end one of hope and resilience and the power of the human spirit to not just survive, but to thrive.

[Leigh · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have read a few books on this disaster and watched a few documentaries about it. Regardless of what the books, shows and even the CBC movie cover there is always a bit more that hasn't been covered. Most talk about various people in different parts of town. This book focuses on the Jackson family and is focused more on the explosion and its immediate aftermath and how these people coped and managed to survive and carry on despite the horrors of that day and not really on what happened and the inquiry into it. It's a heartbreaking story, out of 66 people in Halifax that day less than twenty would survive. One of the authors is part of this family though born after the disaster. His mother lost all 10 of children and her husband and was buried in rubble for hours until rescue. The story was mostly compassionate and more like a family memoir than in depth history of that fateful December day. While I mostly enjoyed this book as much as you can enjoy a book about a horrific tragedy it was engaging but I had a few nitpicks. There were so many people it became difficult to remember who belonged to which family, there's so many different branches, children, grandchildren, spouses and I kept flipping back to see who was who. The book often gets very almost too graphic describing how people died or their injuries. Describing blood gushing out of a severed leg, or how people were disfigured. Simply say the leg was severed by shrapnel will do, or that they bore the scars from flying glass etc. I also didn't like how the describe full blown conversations, thoughts and feelings about everyone involved. Since a lot of these people died there is no way of knowing a lot of this. I get poetic license to make things more readable but it just always annoys me when non fiction authors do that. Unless you hear word for word from a person who was there or someone wrote the actual conversation down don't put words in people's mouths. He even describes one of his half sisters Clara's thoughts of panic while trapped in her bed with fire coming closer to her. How do you know she felt that way? For all you know she was unconscious most of the time. How do you know she screamed and called out for hours until she gave up if no one was there to hear her? Maybe someone did but if they had wouldn't they have rescued her sooner? But other than these few grievances overall it was a sad story but another necessary entry about one of the sadest most tragic days in Canada's history.

[Jane · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sandy Leeper
had to purchase used. 1/4/20
A disaster I'd never heard about: the Halifax Exploxion 12/6/1917. Two ships ran into each other: one carrying blankets for disaster, one carrying armaments. The resulting explosion was more than just that: fireball, concussion, explosion, air blast like a thousand hurricanes, then low pressure vacuum that blew out, then the wave/flood, then the fires.
It was written by a son of one of the 2 (of 9) surviving sisters. It is just unimaginable. And after just finishing reading Job, a real-life, modern-day example. How does one go on after losing husband, 10 children, siblings and on and on?! There is no answer.
The italicized print was a bit difficult. I compare it to Rise and Fall and wish he could've made the people more real and the #s and science more accessible.

[Terri Durling · Rating 2 out of 5]

I had a hard time getting through this book. It's an interesting topic; I have lived in Halifax a good part of my life and, when I am in the north end, the area hardest hit, I often think of that terrible day on December 6, 1917 when Halifax was forever changed after the most violent and destructive disaster in Canadian history. It's summertime though and I tend towards lighter reading and this was anything but and was quite depressing to read. It is gruesome with very descriptive details on just about every page. It focuses on one family in particular, the Jacksons, who lost 46 members of their family and 29 more were badly injured. They all lived within close proximity to each other in Richmond, the area hit hardest by the explosion. I think it is an excellent accounting of the tragedy but it was a struggle to read for the most part because I just wasn't in the frame of mind for this very graphic depiction of tragedy. The right book at the wrong time for me personally.

[Todd · Rating 2 out of 5]

Do I really need to know how each person block by block was killed? Too depressing and repetitive to read much more

[Amanda Wiebe · Rating 5 out of 5]

Picked this book up one summer in Halifax, while on a school trip. I wasn't able to put it down! I cried while reading it. The resiliency of the survivors is unfathomable.

[JD Aay'han · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of the best books I've ever read.