Book ~ "We Rise Again: More Stories of Hope and Resilience from Nova Scotia during the COVID-19 Pandemic" (2021) Len Wagg and Angela Mombourquette

From Goodreads ~ It's been more than a year since COVID-19 arrived in Nova Scotia. In the spring of 2020, then-premier of Nova Scotia Stephen McNeil implored citizens to "stay the blazes home" - and they did. 

But the full-scale lockdown is now a thing of the past. As wide-scale testing and vaccines begin to have an impact, many people have returned, in limited ways, to their businesses, their pastimes, and even their social lives. And although we are still in the thick of the pandemic, 

Nova Scotians, by necessity and by nature, have continued to step up to help one another through the ongoing crisis. Who are these heroes who, on a daily basis, have continued to risk their lives, their livelihoods, and their own well-being to help us get through this pandemic? How have Nova Scotia's front-line workers, business owners, support workers, healthcare workers - people from all walks of life - adapted to find ways not just to survive and help others survive but to thrive through it all? 

In the follow-up to his national bestseller Stay the Blazes Home, award-winning photographer and author Len Wagg, now with co-author Angela Mombourquette, brings dozens of compelling stories and powerful images of hope and resilience to light, illuminating the many ways Nova Scotians continue to serve as beacons of hope for all Canadians.

This book was published in the fall of 2021, a year after the world closed down because of COVID-19 and things were starting to open up again. Everyone was trying to figure out what they had to do to keep themselves and everyone else safe. Vaccines were now available (I had gotten mine as soon as I could and continue to do so) and social distancing rules were in place.

There are many pictures and stories of how Nova Scotians reacted and supported each other, with a focus on front line health workers. Because it was written during the second summer as we were all experiencing COVID-19, these aren't memories or recollections ... these are the experiences of people at the time as they were living through it.

The author did a good job in capturing the essence of the time and it's a good reminder of what we all had been through.

Book ~ "Stay the Blazes Home" (2020) Len Wagg

From Goodreads ~ On March 11, 2020, the World Health Organization declared COVID-19 a global pandemic and life, at that moment, changed drastically for every Nova Scotian.

People were ordered to practice physical distancing. Everyday tasks like grocery shopping were suddenly fraught with challenges. Travellers scrambled to get home before the borders closed, and were then ordered to self-quarantine. Hospitals and health-care facilities prepared for a potential influx of critically ill patients. Through it all, Nova Scotians reacted with kindness and empathy, and came to recognize their everyday heroes - from grocery clerks to delivery drivers to the doctors and nurses on the front lines. But tales of some who flouted the rules arose. During a daily media briefing, Premier Stephen McNeil made the spirit of the order perfectly clear: "Stay the blazes home."

Through dozens of powerful stories that illuminate the generosity and ingenuity of Nova Scotians, "Stay the Blazes Home" captures the many ways Nova Scotians adapted to and embraced life during the COVID-19 pandemic. Featuring photographs by author and award-winning photographer Len Wagg, in addition to submitted images from all over the province, "Stay the Blazes Home" serves as a record of the resilience and the spirit of Nova Scotians in a time of crisis. Portions of the proceeds from this book will be donated to local mental health initiatives.

This book was published in the fall of 2020, just after the world closed down because of COVID-19. Though it's only been four years, it seems like a lifetime ago. I think Nova Scotia (and the rest of of Atlantic Canada) stood out for the way they handled social distancing. They created family "bubbles", restricted travel from outside the provinces and the premier of Nova Scotia ordered everyone to "stay the blazes home".

There are many pictures and stories of how Nova Scotians reacted and supported each other. Because it was written during the first summer of COVID-19, these aren't memories or recollections ... these are the experiences of people at the time and their struggles to survive and adapt the best they could. The stories include how businesses pivoted, what people did to entertain themselves since we were all isolated, weddings, graduations, visiting eldering and sick loved ones and more.

I think the author did a good job in capturing the essence of the time and it's a good reminder of what we all had been through.