by Terrie Todd
Part of Enduring Hope
First published 2026
Pearline Campbell's world collapses in stages. First, Oliver Hamilton returns from war disfigured and broken, ending their engagement. Three days later, on December 6, 1917, a massive explosion devastates Halifax harbor. The blast kills Pearline's parents and leaves her brother missing. Her surviving sister retreats into silence. Pearline opens her damaged home to orphaned children, including a nameless baby with no family to claim him. The city around her struggles with widespread destruction and grief. Each morning brings new challenges as Pearline searches for strength to care for the children who depend on her. She must find ways to heal not only her own wounds but also those of the displaced children in her care. Oliver's rejection still stings, but survival demands her full attention. The baby needs feeding, the other orphans need comfort, and her silent sister needs patience. Pearline discovers that caring for others becomes a path toward her own recovery, even as Halifax slowly rebuilds from the ruins.
Genres: literary-fiction, domestic-fiction, historical-fiction, 20th-century, adult-fiction, family-drama
Vibes: contemplative, emotional, hopeful, intimate, poignant, resilient
Tropes: found-family, healing-through-service, overcoming-adversity, second-chance-romance
Setting: Halifax, Halifax Harbor
Period: 1917, World War I, 20th century
256 pages · Paperback · Barbour Fiction
Content warnings: death, war