Speaking Up: New Voices on War and Peace in Nova Scotia

by Maya Eichler (Editor), Reina Green (Editor), Tracy Moniz (Editor)

The story of Nova Scotia’s history is usually presented through the lens of military history. Lost in that narrative are the less visible stories of war and peace: contemporary stories told from outside the military community; anti-militarist stories; and stories of soldiers who don’t fit the white, cisgender male, heterosexual norm. 

Speaking Up: New Voices on War and Peace in Nova Scotia brings many previously neglected voices to the fore—voices of current members of the Canadian Armed Forces and military veterans, members of the African Nova Scotian and Mi’kmaw communities, refugees and immigrants displaced by war, historians and other academics who study war and militarization, artists who reflect on war’s impact, and peace activists who vigorously protest against the militarization of the region. 

These fresh perspectives on war and peace in Nova Scotia—from voices that include Darl Wood, El Jones, Sylvia Parris, Peter Dykhuis, Jessica L. Wiebe, Paige Farah, Catherine Martin, and Juanita Peters—light the way to a more comprehensive understanding of the impact of war on our province. Through more than thirty unique stories carefully curated by an expert editorial team from Mount Saint Vincent University in Halifax, Speaking Up: New Voices on War and Peace in Nova Scotia sets out to challenge the dominant military narrative on war and peace in Nova Scotia.

Genres: Nonfiction

232 pages, Paperback

Published November 1, 2022

Reviews

[Gemington · Rating 4 out of 5]

CW: war, protest, nuclear proliferation, refugees, purge, suffering

These are untold stories of war and peace in Nova Scotia. They vary in time and space focusing on NS’s stories of war’s impact on our community. Halifax loomed large but was not the only place under discussion. From military bans of 2SLGBTQIA, to world war contributions from Mi’kmaw, Acadian and African Nova Scotians, to refugee stories and peace activism and artistic movements, the book ham meaningful depth.

[Daniel Macgregor · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is an amazing addition to the history of Nova Scotia in general. While it does not follow on central story, it emphasizes the stories of dozens of different stories concerning peace and war from a Nova Scotian context. Highly recommend it.