Interview with Donna Jones Alward - Author of 'When the World Fell Silent'

DONNA JONES ALWARD

Since 2006, New York Times bestseller Donna Jones Alward has enchanted readers with stories of happy endings and homecomings that have won several awards and been translated into over a dozen languages. She’s worked as an administrative assistant, teaching assistant, in retail and as a stay-at-home-mom, but always knew her degree in English Literature would pay off, as she is now happy to be a full-time writer. Her new historical fiction tales blend her love of history with characters who step beyond their biggest fears to claim the lives they desire.

Donna currently lives in Nova Scotia, Canada, with her husband and two cats. You can often find her near the water, either kayaking on the lake or walking the sandy beaches to refill her creative well.

Interview with Donna Jones Alward - Author of 'When the World Fell Silent'

Novel out July 19th, 2024

See my Review here.

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INTERVIEW

Tell us about the historical event that inspired your novel and how you have used it to create a story.

The Halifax Explosion occurred on December 6, 1917, when a munitions ship, the Mont Blanc, collided with a relief vessel, the Imo, in the Halifax harbour. The Mont Blanc caught fire, and it caused quite a sensation in the city, with people flocking to the docks or to their windows to watch. Only a few people knew of its dangerous cargo. When it exploded just after 9 a.m., it levelled the north end of the city, killing almost 2000 and injuring around 9000.

Quite often when I read a historical fiction with a central event/catastrophe, the event comes near the end as a plot climax. But I’m always intrigued by how people deal with the aftermath of such a thing. The explosion happens in the first third of the novel, and the real story is what happens to the characters and how they move forward after such a devastating event. The climax isn’t the explosion, it’s how the decisions of the characters lead to a specific moment in time when secrets are revealed and choices have to be made.

Are your characters all fictional or are any modelled after real people?

My main characters are all fictional. Nora Crowell is a Lieutenant in the Canadian Army Medical Corps and works at Camp Hill Hospital treating convalescing soldiers. Charlotte Campbell is a war widow with a young child, living with her in-laws. Neil MacLeod is also fictional, though it is true that doctors came from around the province to assist in treating the wounded. There are a few minor characters – mostly at the hospital – who are drawn from real people, but they have walk-on roles.

Name two facts you discovered while doing research for your novel that surprised or disturbed you.

I did not know anything about the Mi’kmaq community of Turtle Grove (Tufts Cove), and there is very little written about it in the history of the explosion. Turtle Grove was on the Dartmouth side of the harbour, and was completely obliterated by the explosion and the resulting tsunami. The attitude seems to be that since the settlement was potentially being located to a reservation at Albro Lake. Little relief came from Indian Affairs, and the reservation never came to be, either. And yet the community there suffered great losses. It isn’t a surprise to me that this happened, but it’s another disturbing mark on our treatment of our First Nations.

On the medical side, I also learned of Dr. Clement Ligoure, a Trinidadian doctor who practiced out of his own clinic in the city. Because of his colour, he was denied hospital privileges. But on December 6, he opened his doors and worked for days treating the wounded without charge.

Provide a paragraph each on Nora, Jane and Charlotte: their differences, personalities, etc.

Nora: Nora is a Bluebird nurse, and could be considered a “Modern Woman” as she is not particularly interested in marriage. She adores being a working girl. She loves her family and her best friend is her sister, Jane. She’s an incredibly hard worker and fiercely loyal. And she’s not usually impulsive. So when she makes a few of her decisions, we realize that sometimes things change in wartime. There’s a sense of urgency.

Jane: Jane is Nora’s sister and has always been the one who wanted to marry and have a family. Her husband is at the front, so she’s running the house as a small boarding house to do her part back home. Both of these women are strong, loving women, and while they might want to take different paths, their values are similar. It’s no surprise, then, that Jane is willing to do anything to help her sister when life gets tricky.

Charlotte: Charlotte is a single mother and war widow, who depends on her widow’s benefit after her husband, Frank, is killed in battle. Charlotte is so hungry for a family after being orphaned as a teen. But Frank’s family treats her like the help. Her dream is to get to a point where she can take her daughter and build a life, just the two of them. Charlotte is a hardworking, determined woman, and lucky to have the assistance of a good friend, Winnifred, after the explosion. But Charlotte isn’t as strong as she’d like to be, and that leads to some questionable decisions.

Who was your favourite character to write and why?

It’s hard to choose! I loved writing Nora; she was so warm and strong and independent. Her life changes in huge ways but she always looks forward and tries to make the best of it because she puts her family first. But I also loved writing Charlotte. Charlotte’s vulnerabilities were so relatable to me, and exploring the light and dark of those characters was such a rich experience.

Describe Captain McLeod and Alley and their part in the story and in Nora’s life?

Alley – Alton Vienot – is a soldier waiting to be shipped overseas. He and Nora have struck up a relationship, and while Nora isn’t looking for marriage, she does care for him. He is a ray of sunshine when the tasks of the day – caring for wounded, broken men – weigh heavy. But he’s not the stable, principled kind of man Nora needs.

Neil McLeod is an army doctor who comes to Halifax to help treat the wounded. Neil’s brother is at the front and Neil sometimes wishes he was over there instead of working on the home front. Neil has a bit of a rescue complex, and he occasionally hides his stress in unhealthy ways. But he is an incredibly good man with a ton of integrity, and he is a pillar of strength for Nora. I admit I liked him a whole bunch while I was writing him.

What was your most difficult scene to write and why? How did you overcome the challenge?

Slightly Spoilery: when Charlotte wakes up in hospital, she is utterly panicked. I found this scene so hard to write on an emotional level. It’s every mother’s worst fear, you know? And as a mom myself, it can be really hard to tap into those feelings. To be honest, there are a few scenes that were gut-wrenching to write. In those cases, I have to take my time, focus, and really let myself “be” in the character and the moment. I have to channel those feelings from inside myself to the character and the page. It’s hard, but I think it’s really important for emotional authenticity.

Please share your journey in becoming a writer. You have written a number of books in other genres but this is your first Historical Fiction. Do you plan to write more in this category and what is it about this genre you love?

I spent nearly twenty years writing romance, and I still love a happy ever after. I always tried to end a book with the idea that the characters would face challenges ahead, but they’d overcome them together (rather than leave everything perfectly). I loved writing deep emotion, small towns and communities, and families. And guess what? With historical fiction, I can still do that!

But with historical fiction I can expand the story so that the backbone isn’t the romantic relationship. I can explore so many other themes and relationships, with the backdrop of historical events that are so interesting! I’ve been a reader of hist fic for decades, and honestly, I love writing it. So yes, expect more from me in this genre!

What kind of writer are you? A pantser, plotter or a combination of both?

I’m a “plantser”! I do some plotting but I also write a lot by the seat of my pants because I like to let the characters lead me places I might not have planned. Going with the characters has never steered me wrong. I will confess to doing more plotting with historical fiction than in romance, because there’s also an external timeline to follow and I have to ensure that my characters’ actions occur at the right spots in that timeline as both work to move the story forward.

What four authors have inspired you? Name one book each author has written that you love and why.

Top of the list is LaVyrle Spencer – both as a romance author and a historical fiction author. I could name so many of her books that resonate with me, but I think her last was the one that destroyed me the most. In THEN CAME HEAVEN, a young mother is hit by a train in the opening scene, and the rest of the story is about her young husband, two kids, and a nun at their school, set in the 50s. It’s a beautiful gut punch.

Jennifer Robson became an autobuy author for me from the first time I read one of her books (SOMEWHERE IN FRANCE) but I adored THE GOWN. It does not have a complicated plot, but Jen has a way of digging into characters that makes you love them, and takes you on a journey that is beautiful. Bonus points of course because she’s Canadian.

Renee Ryan is a friend of mine, and her last four historical fiction books have been outstanding (the 4th,  THE LAST FASHION HOUSE IN PARIS, is coming out in December and I just finished an early read). Fashion House features a character from THE WIDOWS OF CHAMPAGNE, and that book…wow. I finished it and thought “holy heck, if you like THE NIGHTINGALE, you’ll love this one.” She writes strong, plucky female characters, tons of emotion, uses gorgeous language, and her pacing… honestly, it feels like taking a masterclass when I read one of her books.

And I’m a huge fan of any of the “Team W” authors – Lauren Willig, Karen White, and Beatriz Williams (who co-write as well as release individually). One that sticks out is one by Beatriz: OUR WOMAN IN MOSCOW. It feels different from her other books, and I’m generally not a Cold War time period fan, but I could not put it down. Beatriz’s superpower is her voice, and her ability to make each character sound completely original.

Are you working on a new novel now and can you share a little about it?

I AM working on a new novel, tentatively titled THE COLDEST NIGHT. It takes place partly on the Titanic, partly on the Carpathia, and finishes in New York and then Halifax, Nova Scotia (of course I have a Halifax connection!). The bodies that were recovered were brought here, and… well, I don’t want to say too much. But there’s an element of danger for my characters (beyond, well, Titanic!) as well as an overall theme of sisterhood and women helping other women. It’ll go in later this fall (in Northern Hemisphere) and then I’ll know more about scheduling.

Thanks to Donna for being my guest author today. I wish her much success on the release of her exciting new novel! She is from my birth home province of New Brunswick in Canada but now resides in Nova Scotia. You can read more about her books and other info on her beautiful website. Also, visit her YouTube channel ‘Step Into The Story that she co-hosts with Barbara Tanner-Wallace. They also have a Facebook page.