''A Romance of the Halifax Disaster'' (1918) is a rare

novella A novella is a narrative prose fiction whose length is shorter than most novels, but longer than most novelettes and short stories. The English word ''novella'' derives from the Italian meaning a short story related to true (or apparently so) ...

by Canadian Lieutenant-Colonel Frank McKelvey Bell based on the

Halifax Explosion On the morning of 6 December 1917, the French cargo ship collided with the Norwegian vessel in the harbour of Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada. ''Mont-Blanc'', laden with Explosive material, high explosives, caught fire and exploded, devastat ...

of 1917. Bell, after the explosion, had assisted in the medical rescue. His experiences during this time allowed him to write about the physical trauma suffered by Haligonians. Rather than focusing on medical professionals, though, Bell positions his narrative as a romance between a young volunteer and an injured soldier. In the disaster's aftermath, Bell was the chair of the medical relief committee.

Background

Haligonian publisher Gerald Weir released the small novella which is today relegated to rare book collections and archival holdings; original copies are worth several hundred dollars apiece. Much of the interest surrounding this book likely arises from the rare photographs which appear on every other page, as well as a detailed list of the dead and a fold out map which are included at the end of the novella.

Plot summary

Vera Warrington and Tom Welsford enter the narrative while floating and flirting on the

Saint Lawrence River The St. Lawrence River (, ) is a large international river in the middle latitudes of North America connecting the Great Lakes to the North Atlantic Ocean. Its waters flow in a northeasterly direction from Lake Ontario to the Gulf of St. Lawrenc ...

. Years later, Vera is engaged to the wealthy William Lawson and has not heard from Tom. Shortly before the explosion, Tom returns to Halifax,

Nova Scotia Nova Scotia is a Provinces and territories of Canada, province of Canada, located on its east coast. It is one of the three Maritime Canada, Maritime provinces and Population of Canada by province and territory, most populous province in Atlan ...

, for orthopaedic surgery for a war wound. Tom is still in hospital when the disaster occurs. As a volunteer with the Voluntary Aid Division, Vera darts to the hospital only in time to witness Will's death and her liberation from the marriage which was to occur later that day. Now free, Vera finds Tom in a hospital bed and accepts his proposal: the last line of the book belongs to Vera, agreeing to marriage.

References

1918 Canadian novels Canadian novellas Canadian romance novels Culture of Halifax, Nova Scotia Novels set in Nova Scotia {{Canada-novel-stub

Background

Plot summary

See also

References