Coming March 1, 2025
Notes from a Deserter
A Civil War farmer's harrowing odyssey from battle to desertion ends in tragedy, revealing the era's tumultuous spirit through a series of poignant vignettes.
By C. W. Towarnicki
William Henry Howe, a modest farmer, leaves his pregnant wife, Hannah, and their small family behind in pursuit of a soldier's stipend and honor. Joining the Pennsylvania 116th regiment, Howe's journey reveals a nation and culture in turmoil. Each chapter of his story is punctuated by letters to Hannah, written to bridge the void of his absence as war and the seasons progress.
During the brutal winter siege of Fredericksburg, Howe, weakened by dysentery, fights valiantly in a devastating defeat, emerging as one of the few survivors. As his superior officers retreat to Philadelphia to regroup and overwhelmed medical facilities crumble, Howe embarks on a grueling 275-mile journey home to Perkiomenville to recover.
Upon returning to his rural family life, local bounty hunters descended on the small town, seeking a reward for capturing deserters. A failed attempt leads to the death of one bounty hunter and Howe's imprisonment. Torn from his young family once more, Howe is tried, convicted, and on August 26, 1864, becomes the only soldier hanged for desertion at Fort Mifflin. His body, rejected by the local graveyard, is finally laid to rest in the family plot, where one last letter was left for the widowed Hanna.
A gripping short story cycle, Notes From a Deserter using a shifting point of view to explore themes of duty, sacrifice, and the cost of war on individuals and communities. It's a moving collection of stories that captures the essence of a nation and its people in crisis while highlighting the tragic and profound impact on one Pennsylvania family.
Advance Praise
“The stories making up Notes from a Deserter are strung together with a gritty tenderness and the stark realities of the Civil War. And every page, in Towarnicki’s spare and precise prose, is full of the intimate experience of the characters breathing life and immediacy into all of it.
– Paul Elwork, author of The Girl Who Would Speak for the Dead
“This novel is pure word cinema. It’s a time machine, it’s a poem, it’s a love letter to who we are and where we’re from that bigger, thicker books have failed to encapsulate so effectively. And powerfully. Towarnicki is a major force in American fiction and Notes from a Deserter is an unforgettable debut.”
– Nick Gregorio, author of Launch Me to the Stars, I’m Finished Here
C. W. Towarnicki is a father, writer, and educator living in Perkiomenville, PA. He holds an MFA from Arcadia University where he began drafting his first novel following a research subject, William Henry Howe, who left a neighboring property to enlist in the Civil War. He writes historical fiction short stories as well as nonfiction articles in the field of education. His work appears in Education Weekly, Sundial Magazine, Fly Culture Magazine and others. He is currently working on his second novel which is set to focus on the Pennsylvania Lumber Era of the late 1800s. He and his wife are founders of a Learner-Driven School called Seeds Academy in Green Lane, PA.