Burden of Desire Book

MacNeil is the co-founder of the PBS MacNeil Leher Report. He is the author of several non-fiction books but Burden of Desire is his first novel. It is excellent. MacNeil was born in Montreal. His grandparents, mother and uncle lived in Halifax during WWI.

On December 6, 1917 the Mont Blanc, a freighter with a cargo of highly explosive picric acid, TNT, gun cotton and benzyl entered Halifax harbor. Its cargo was secret and certainly the Halifax port authorities did not know the ship was a floating bomb. To dock, the Mont Blanc had to pass through the Narrows. Due to crowding and confusion she collided with the Imo. At first, there was a spectacular fire that drew many to their windows. Next there was an explosion. Many of the onlookers were blinded by flying glass, others were killed or seriously maimed by collapsing houses and resulting fires. Although MacNeil does not give the statistic, over 2,000 were killed and the entire north end of Halifax was destroyed. The event was the largest explosion in history until the atomic bomb was set off in the 1940's

The two male protagonists; James, an Anglican clergyman assigned to the Halifax Cathedral, and Stewart, a psychologist working with shelled shocked soldier, joined the rescue operations. Julia, the female lead, lives in the affluent south end and was not harmed by the explosion. In a rush to provide clothing to the unfortunates whose homes were destroyed, she put her diary into a pocket only to have it drop out in the confusion.

James finds the diary and reads it. Julia began recording her thoughts two years before the explosion shortly after she was married. Her husband is a Canadian Army officer and was assigned to the front in France shortly after the wedding. Julia's diary is very revealing, she likes sex.

The primary plot revolves around how the diary affects the relations between Julia, James and Stewart. But there is much more. This is 1917 and Canada is part of the British Empire. Halifax has sharp class distinctions: rich manufacturers and bankers in the south and workers in the north. After the blast Julia goes to the north end. It is her first visit. She is 26.

Halifax can be more British than Brittan but simultaneously wants independence and feels superior to England. Following the blast the Governor General, who is also an English duke, tours Halifax to see the destruction. The wealthy head of the rescue committee, a Halifax resident, finds it difficult to decide whether to call the GG, Your Grace or Your Excellency. Canadian soldiers look down on their British counterparts and many hate Haig, Brittan's top general.

There is also much insight into Anglican beliefs at the time.