Mary Anna Monnon's father was one of the lucky survivors of the Halifax Explosion, the great World War One disaster that devastated Halifax and killed over two thousand people. His personal story, along with the stories of other survivors, are woven into this captivating account of the events leading up to and following the explosion of the munitions ship Mont Blanc in Halifax Harbour. Monnon begins the story in the days just prior to the explosion, providing news items, ads, and public notices that give readers fresh insight into life in the city at that time. Monnon's interviewees provide candid recollections of where they were and their initial responses to the disaster. What emerge are unusually personal stories of confusion, injury, loss, and the eventual resurgence of hope-raw remembrances that bring back into sharp focus those first days on the ground.

Miracles and Mysteries is a reminder of the tragedy of war, and how ordinary people respond to overwhelming and inexplicable events.

Mary Ann Monnon was born in Cape Breton where her parents settled after the war. Having grown up with the folklore of the Halifax Explosion, she spent five years researching the disaster before writing Miracles and Mysteries.

She is the author, along with her late husband, Ernest, of Right On, You Got the Elbow Out: Wartime Memories of the RCAF. Her children's book, Henry's Quest (1997) received the Lilla Stirling Memorial Award. Her Journal of Memories was awarded a "Thank You Canada" medal by the Government of the Netherlands.

Mary Ann has been a member of the Writers' Federation of Nova Scotia, served two terms as the Vice President Atlantic of the Canadian Authors' Association, and three terms as President of the Nova Scotia branch. A graduate of the Sydney City Hospital and Acadia University, Mary Ann currently resides in Halifax.

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