When the World Fell Silent by Donna Jones Alward
Last but not least on this week’s revisit is my bestie’s historical fiction debut. A title that’s still sitting on the Canadian bestseller list, I might add.
WHEN THE WORLD FELL SILENT revolves around the 1917 Halifax Explosion and its aftermath. 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.
