A breathtaking, fast-paced work of historical fiction based on the tragic true story of the 1941 Mount Allison University residence fire
I have a history here. I am part of this landscape. I have forged it, shaped it, and renewed it time-and-again. At times, I have been a mishap. Once or twice, I was brought forth at the hands of mischief. This time, I was sparked to life. I awoke from the elements, timid and trembling.
In the basement of a residence at a small liberal arts university in rural New Brunswick, while war rages overseas, a fire breaks out in the middle of the night. The town is sleeping.
A novel of devastating beauty, based on the true story of the December 1941 fire that destroyed a men's residence at Mount Allison University in Sackville, New Brunswick, killing four students, and bringing the horrors of war startlingly close to home. Told at a blistering pace and in multiple points of view-including characters based on Alex and Rhoda Colville, who were students at the time, as well as faculty and staff, students past and present, a local journalist, and suspicious townspeople-this stunning work of historical fiction explores themes of trauma, love, and humanity in the face of tragedy.
