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|   Sharon McKaySharon McKay was shortlisted for the Governor General's award for her first young adult novel Charlie Wilcox. Why did she turn to the Halifax Explosion? What inspired Penelope: Terror in the Harbour? Find out about Sharon's passion for Halifax in the 1900s in her chat with www.ourcanadiangirl.ca. Q: Why did you decide to write about the Halifax Explosion in 1917? SM: When I was little I learned a great deal about British history but comparatively little about Canadian history. The message was not much happened in Canada before I was born. Not! The explosion that occurred in the Halifax harbour (the result of two ships colliding, one loaded with explosives) was the biggest man-made explosion before World War II. And that's not all! Our history is chilling, scary, full of danger and very exciting. There is a great deal to be proud of and some things that we will never be proud of. Wait a minute! I'm off the topic. Why did I write about the Halifax Explosion? Well, I had just finished another book called Charlie Wilcox. It is set around the same time and dealt with The Great War. I liked this era. Besides, Charlie was a boy and I wanted to write a story about a girl. Q: What kind of research did you do to find out about Penny's world? SM: Lots! It began in my local library. I read everything I could find. The librarians were a great help too. They searched for books in other libraries, found old photographs and maps. I talked to museum curators, researchers, historians and other writers who have dealt with this disaster. Some people think that writing is a very lonely profession, but it doesn't have to be -- not all the time anyway. Q: What do you think is most different about life in that time? SM: There are the obvious things, the clothes, cars and homes. (Imagine life without a television, telephone, computer or car!) But, I think the difference between then and now really shows up when look we at relationships. Society was rigidly divided back then. The lower class did not mix with the upper class. The relationship between husband and wife, parent and child, was much more clear-cut. A wife stayed at home and kept house. It would have been very rare indeed for a father to help his wife with the cleaning, change a diaper, or even hold a baby longer than a minute or so. Today most moms and dads share home and work responsibilities. Q: What do you think was the most difficult about life in that time? SM: Back in Penny's time, even the flu could kill. Watching a loved one die because of lack of medical help must have been terrible. Q: Do you think Penny would be different if she were alive today? SM: No matter when Penny was born in, her sense of right and wrong would always carry her though. Penny likes fashion and clothes (remember her blue dress?). Perhaps today she would have pink hair and very hip clothes. |
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