A Halifax Story Rooted in History
Coldstream author Kristin Kraus is drawing readers into Halifax with her newest novella, They Didn’t See the Flowers. This compelling Halifax murder mystery blends crime, history, and social justice into a narrative that goes beyond the traditional whodunit. Kraus, inspired by a family trip to the Maritimes in 2013, set her tale against Halifax’s storied backdrop, from the Citadel to Africville.
Murder, Mystery, and Social Justice
The novella follows three families of Indigenous, Black Canadian, and British descent whose lives collide after a murder and an assault. Frankie, a young Indigenous woman, must face her fears to clear her name. Bryan, a Black teenager grieving his mother, wavers between right and wrong choices. Meanwhile, Colin, a police officer battling alcoholism, struggles to hold his life together. Kraus layers these characters’ stories with themes of racism, resilience, and history’s lingering wounds.
Africville and the Title’s Deeper Meaning
The title, They Didn’t See the Flowers, carries historical weight. Kraus recalls how Africville, a Black community in Halifax, was demolished in the 1960s. Decades later, a councillor defended the decision by saying, “I didn’t see the flowers.” To Kraus, this phrase symbolizes how society overlooks dignity and self-sufficiency when blinded by prejudice.
Tackling Race and Complexity in Writing
Writing about race and injustice was not without challenges for Kraus, who worried about striking the wrong tone. However, she believes literature must confront racism as a human problem. With a background in mystery, horror, and psychological fiction, Kraus brings her nuanced storytelling to a book that is as much about social reckoning as it is about solving a crime.
Book Launch and Availability
Kraus will officially launch They Didn’t See the Flowers at the Vernon and District Métis Association on Saturday, Sept. 6, from 1–3 p.m. She will also be present at Enderby Lit Con on Sept. 13. This fall, she returns to Halifax from Oct. 16–19 to promote the novella in the very city that inspired it. Readers can purchase her work in paperback or e-book through Amazon, IngramSpark, and her website, eloquentbeepress.ca.
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