Tides of Honour (33 page)

Acknowledgments

Between 1914 and 1918, World War I claimed the lives of more than sixty-five thousand Canadians. Every year we commemorate their sacrifice, lest we forget.

In one single day, December 6, 1917, the largest manmade explosion in history (until Hiroshima) killed more than sixteen hundred people in and around Halifax, Nova Scotia. Hundreds more were maimed, blinded, and left homeless in the middle of a frozen Canadian winter. I fear they have been mostly forgotten.

My family and I moved from Alberta to Nova Scotia in 2008, when I was in my early forties. Until then, I had never heard of the Halifax Explosion. I only learned of it because the story popped up in books published locally and in a CBC production I'd never seen. At first I even thought the explosion was fictional. I did not remain ignorant. The history of that day—of that
minute,
really—blew a hole in my heart and left a permanent scar. Almost two thousand men, women, and children—not to mention all the animals—were blasted apart in the blink of an eye, and yet that day has, for the most part, been forgotten by the rest of the world.

I dedicate this book to the memory of those people and their families, and to the Halifax of December 5, 1917, one day before
the explosion. Life moves so quickly these days, and for them it was gone in a second. I also dedicate it to the determination and commitment of thousands of people who put their all into bringing Halifax back to life, though most of them are now gone.

I also humbly dedicate this book to veterans of every conflict, especially to those suffering the vile effects of post-traumatic stress disorder. I wish you peace.

Thank you to all the generous people living along the Eastern Shore who helped me learn about this area's history and culture. In particular, I'd like to thank Harold Baker (Bakers Point Fisheries), Linda Fahie (
fishermanslife.novascotia.ca
), and Thea Wilson-Hammond (
HeritageVillage.ca
). I would also like to thank Annette Fulford (
wwiwarbrides.shawwebspace.ca
) for her help on researching Audrey.

I'm so thrilled to be working with Simon & Schuster Canada and with my new editor, the wonderful Alison Clarke. Every time Alison sent me a question about this book, it felt as if she opened another window, and my story grew exponentially. Thank you also to the incredibly talented super author Susanna Kearsley, who read my novel
Somewhere to Dream
a couple of years ago. Based on that book she agreed to recommend me to Alison. Thank you both so much, ladies!

As always, thank you to my fastidious and conscientious advocate and agent, Jacques de Spoelberch. I am so grateful to you for making your first foray into Canadian publishing on my behalf.

Thank you to Nova Scotia author Jon Tattrie for letting Tommy Joyce hop briefly from his brilliant novel,
Black Snow,
onto the pages of
Tides of Honour
so he could help Danny along the way.

Tides of Honour
would not be the book it is today if not for Dwayne, my beloved husband of more than twenty years. He is
my most demanding reader, and his insistence that I dig into the core of every story means I cannot rest on my laurels at any point. He loves me and understands me when I have trouble doing that for myself, and he is the reason I believe in true love. Thank you for being my happily ever after, Dwayne. Forever and ever.

ALSO BY GENEVIEVE GRAHAM

Under the Same Sky

Sound of the Heart

Somewhere to Dream