In her historical fiction debut, New York Times bestselling author Donna Jones Alward deftly weaves a remarkable story of two women’s lives impacted by the Great War and a horrific maritime disaster in When the World Fell Silent.
We meet Nora Crowell and Charlotte Campbell in Halifax, Nova Scotia at a time when the town’s port served as an important harbor not only for traditional seafaring but for military vessels in WWI.
Nora is an unmarried nurse at Camp Hill Hospital, caring for veterans with devastating injuries and lives with her sister’s family. Charlotte is a young war widow with a toddler, who is treated practically as an indentured servant by her late husband’s family.
After the December 6, 1917 tragedy, the largest man-made explosion in history prior to the bombing of Hiroshima in 1945, decimates Halifax, killing roughly 2,000 people and injuring 9,000, for those that survived, life will never be the same.
Jones Alward paints not only the women but also her supporting characters with such rich detail, both subtle and real, in this gripping and emotional tale.
As Nora’s and Charlotte’s stories began to intertwine ever more closely, I found myself wishing I could read even faster than I usually do to move the words from the page to my brain, to my heart more quickly.
I highly recommend When the World Fell Silent for fans of historical fiction, fans of World War I-era fiction and novels with strong women characters. Fans of Donna Jones Alward’s romance novels will be also enjoy this book. I received this advanced reader copy from Harper Collins UK, One More Chapter courtesy of NetGalley.
Order online or buy now at your favorite independent bookstore. Mine is Sellers Books and Art in Jim Thorpe, PA.
We meet Nora Crowell and Charlotte Campbell in Halifax, Nova Scotia at a time when the town’s port served as an important harbor not only for traditional seafaring but for military vessels in WWI.
Nora is an unmarried nurse at Camp Hill Hospital, caring for veterans with devastating injuries and lives with her sister’s family. Charlotte is a young war widow with a toddler, who is treated practically as an indentured servant by her late husband’s family.
After the December 6, 1917 tragedy, the largest man-made explosion in history prior to the bombing of Hiroshima in 1945, decimates Halifax, killing roughly 2,000 people and injuring 9,000, for those that survived, life will never be the same.
Jones Alward paints not only the women but also her supporting characters with such rich detail, both subtle and real, in this gripping and emotional tale.
As Nora’s and Charlotte’s stories began to intertwine ever more closely, I found myself wishing I could read even faster than I usually do to move the words from the page to my brain, to my heart more quickly.
I highly recommend When the World Fell Silent for fans of historical fiction, fans of World War I-era fiction and novels with strong women characters. Fans of Donna Jones Alward’s romance novels will be also enjoy this book. I received this advanced reader copy from Harper Collins UK, One More Chapter courtesy of NetGalley.
Order online or buy now at your favorite independent bookstore. Mine is Sellers Books and Art in Jim Thorpe, PA.