Stay the Blazes Home

by Len Wagg

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.

Genres: Nonfiction

120 pages, Paperback

Published October 31, 2020

About the author

Len Wagg's photographs have appeared in such publications as the New York Times, Time Magazine, and Maclean's. In 2008 Len won the Mayor's Award for Excellence in Book Illustration for the book Wild Nova Scotia, his photographic portrait of the province's protected areas. He lives near Halifax, Nova Scotia.

Reviews

[Shanaya Mills · Rating 5 out of 5]

Beautifully done. A special keepsake book.

[Teena in Toronto · Rating 5 out of 5]

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.

Blog review post: http://www.teenaintoronto.com/2024/11...

[Desiree Trott · Rating 5 out of 5]

Beautiful and well done.
I'm sitting here in the midst of Nova Scotias third wave of the virus being inspired by how others got through the first wave. Many of the wonderful things I knew about and even participated in, but there are so many things that warmed my heart today.

A special keepsake of the year from Hell.

[Jocelyn Covert · Rating 5 out of 5]

I welled up or outright cried so many times while reading this book. Time blurs and fades and you start to forget how awful but also how magic and heartwarming and inspiring the past 2.5 years have been. A wonderful record of an historic time.

[Robert Hickey · Rating 4 out of 5]

A great remembrance of what we went through during the first wave of the pandemic told with personal experiences and lots of photos. A pleasant read.