Note: Thank you to NetGalley, Harper Collins Publishers, and Donna Jones Alward for the advanced reader copy of the book. This review will also be posted on NetGalley. What follows is my unbiased review of the book.

I first heard about the 1917 explosion in Halifax, Nova Scotia when I was on a transatlantic cruise that stopped in Halifax. I’d never heard about it before then, which surprised me. When I saw this historical fiction book based on that incident, I was very eager to read it.

Nora Crowell is a nurse living in Halifax with her sister Jane. Jane is a married mother of two young girls whose husband is fighting in World War I. She has three male boarders at her home to look out for her in addition to Nora. Nora loves her sister, but not her life. Nora is centered on being a career woman and loves being a nurse as she tends to men who were sent home from the war. It’s not always easy, but Nora likes the work.

In another part of Halifax, Charlotte Campbell is a young war widow with a child to care for. She lives in the home of her late husband’s family, who treats her more like a servant than a member of the family. Charlotte’s own family was killed in a house fire, and she has nowhere else to go, although she longs to get away from them.

One day the city is in an uproar as two ships collide in the Narrows and one is on fire. This brings the crowds to the docks to see the sights. Nora is working at the hospital while her sister entertains their parents who have come for a visit. Charlotte needs to get out of the house and goes for a walk with her baby. Unknown to all of them due to security reasons, the ship on fire is carrying munitions for the war. It explodes, flattening a good part of the city.

Life changes drastically for both of these women. Both experience a great deal of loss, and their lives intersect in a way I didn’t expect (although I figured it out fairly quickly once certain events took place). Nora is challenged to change how she views the life of a mother and homemaker. Charlotte must find a place in a world in which it seems there is nothing for her.

When the World Fell Silent is well written, creating suspense even knowing that so many people were killed and wounded in this historic event. It’s emphasized over and over how few options women had at this time, especially if she wasn’t married. In addition, women who were married but their husbands were away fighting still had a hard time taking care of a home and family without him there.

The characters were great. I loved following Nora’s growth and change as she stayed strong throughout what life threw at her. Charlotte, too, is a bit of a wilting violet under her in-laws’ roof, yet eventually, she finds strength as well. It’s the people who surround Nora, though, that really enrich the story. From her family to the men residing at the boarding house, she has an amazing support team behind her, which Charlotte lacks.

I read through When the World Fell Silent in about a day. It was that good. I couldn’t put it down. I wanted to see how everything turned out, and I was satisfied with the ending. The history was very educational about a tragic incident I don’t think many Americans know much about. I think this will be in the top 10 books I’ve read this year.