Blizzard of Glass

Blizzard of Glass: The Halifax Explosion of 1917
By Sally M. Walker
Henry Holt, 2011. 145 pgs. Young Adult Nonfiction

December 6, 1917 started out as a normal day for the people of Halifax, Nova Scotia, as they headed off to work and school. Little did they know that disaster was looming in the Halifax Harbour, as a ship loaded with explosives was on course to collide with another ship. When the two boats collided, the largest man-made explosion until the dropping of the atomic bomb nearly thirty years later was the result. Felt and heard for miles, the explosion was devastating to the people of Halifax as neighborhoods were destroyed and nearly 2000 people were killed.

Walker's presentation of this important part of history is phenomenal. She follows the stories of several families living in Halifax at the time and shows how they were affected by this disaster; this personal aspect, along with numerous photographs from the event, really brings the tragedy to life for readers. I highly recommend this book to anyone looking for an interesting look at history.

AE