In a Nutshell: A literary historical fiction based on a true story of a farmer who fought in the US Civil War, and his subsequent fate. Written as a series of vignettes from shifting character perspectives. Unusual writing structure, great historical representation, fabulous imagery, unfiltered depiction of war brutalities, limited character development (though this is because of the structure.) My lack of personal connect with this war probably stopped me from loving this book more. Regardless, a great debut novel. Recommended. Don’t read the GR blurb!

Plot Preview:
1863. Perkiomenville, Pennsylvania. William Howe, a young farmer of German origin, feels emotionally compelled to join the Civil War efforts, even if it means leaving behind his pregnant wife Hannah and their toddler son. Though Hannah isn't happy about his decision, he follows his heart and promises to write to her regularly.
Through short-story-style chapters coming from the third-person perspectives of various characters, we get to know what happens to William, and also see the impact of the war on various groups that were a part of it, willingly or otherwise.

Bookish Yays:
🎖️ The writing choice of having an actual historical person’s life story coming from the perspective of events that happened around him. Usually, it is the other way around, when we learn about an event through multiple characters. A brave decision, and mostly well-handled.
🎖️ The first chapter, the only one coming from William’s perspective. This foundational chapter was instrumental in getting to know him, especially as we don’t get his direct perspective after this.
🎖️ The historical feels. The content seems apt for the era and covers many events connected to the war as well to ordinary citizens living through it.
🎖️ The impartial narration. I like how the story sticks to its purpose without succumbing to finger-pointing or speculation, with no personal or emotional opinion attached. We hear from whites as well as Blacks, older volunteers as well as veterans, professionals connected to the war and profiteers capitalising on it. Everyone’s perspective is presented neutrally.
🎖️ The beautifully written imagery. Everything was so easy to visualise, even though the author never resorts to “telling.”
🎖️ The splendidly written nature components. I think the author must love nature very much because no matter what scene, there is a strong element from nature in it, be it bird calls or trees or water bodies. This made it easy to immerse myself into the narrative.
🎖️ The realism of the war-related brutalities. Not easy to read, but also not sensationalised.
🎖️ The author’s note – Wowza! Reminded me of all the reasons historical fiction is among my top favourite genres. The inspiration behind this book, William Henry Howe, is buried close to the author's home in Pennsylvania.
🎖️ Can I please given an extra Yay to the fact that this was a commendable debut? It’s probably one of the most complex and well-planned first novels I have read. No typos, no telling, balanced between plot and prose, historically accurate… You bet I am going to keep a eye out for this author’s future works! (Fingers crossed that the next book will be on a topic I am more aware of.)

Bookish Mixed Bags:
⚔️ While I admire the idea of narrating William’s fate through the eyes of other characters who may or may not know him personally, it takes some time to get used to a new perspective after every chapter, especially as the perspectives come from so many different types of people. Most of the accounts worked well for me, so that was a big plus.
⚔️ The events, though chronological, are sporadic. So we don’t see a continuous account of William’s life after he leaves home. In some chapters, he makes just a fleeting appearance in the background. Most of the chapter narrators don’t know William intimately, so we get only a limited insight into his thoughts. There are also time jumps. Thus if you have any questions about what happened to him in the interim or how he managed certain things, there’s no answer most of the times.
⚔️ Thanks to the blurb saying that “each chapter of his story is punctuated by letters to Hannah”, I had assumed that this would partially be an epistolary novel. But though many chapters mention the existence of letters, we don’t get to see his words on paper. I’m a bit disappointed at this because I love epistolary novels and this was one of the reasons I had picked this book up. Expectations problem, this!

Bookish If Onlys:
🏳️ I wish the GR blurb had kept at least some things in suspense. It reveals William’s entire life story! So if you are like me and decide on a book based on the blurb, you already know what’s going to happen and how it’s going to happen.
🏳️ I wish the title had been different. Even if I hadn’t read the blurb, the title still contains a crucial spoiler: “deserter”. I get that some might be more attracted to a story on seeing this unusual tag, but I prefer discovering such details while reading the book.
🏳️ I wish one final chapter would also have come from William’s perspective, bringing us a full circle and maybe giving us some insight into his feelings at that point.

Overall, I am quite impressed at the path taken by this book. It is rare that the main character of the book isn't the MAIN character in the plot. Despite barely having a few pages to himself beyond that first chapter, William does leave a mark. The outstanding prose and imagery further value to the book.

Definitely recommended. This impressive debut would be a great option for readers who enjoy both historical fiction and literary fiction. It would help if you are familiar with basic details about the US Civil War. As a character-driven narrative, it might not work for those who like smooth plot-oriented storylines.

3.75 stars.

My thanks to History Through Fiction Publishing for providing the DRC of “Notes from a Deserter: A Soldier's Journey Home” via NetGalley. This review is voluntary and contains my honest opinion about the book.

William Henry Howe, a farmer in Perkiomenville, PA, enlists in Pennsylvania’s 116th regiment, despite his wife Hannah’s hesitation. Ultimately, he embarks on a 275 mile journey home to recover, but local bounty hunters seek to capture deserters, and Howe is once again torn from his family after being imprisoned, tried, and convicted for desertion.

This is an impressive debut novel, perfect for those with a strong interest in history, especially Civil War era. The author’s descriptive writing fully immerses you in the scene, and the book is thoroughly researched. The novel is based on the true life of William Henry Howe, whom is buried near the author’s home in Perkiomenville, PA. I really enjoyed reading the author’s note at the end of the novel, explaining the inspiration behind writing this story, and his extensive research behind it. Overall, this was an outstanding debut novel, and I look forward to the author’s future work.

Thank you to NetGalley and History Through Fiction for my gifted e-copy!

I really enjoyed reading this book and how the historical fiction element worked with this. I was invested in what was happening and enjoyed from the overall feel of this. The characters had that element that I was looking for and was engaged with what was happening with them in this. C.W. Towarnicki was able to create a interesting concept and was glad I got to read this.

Though I rarely read historical fiction this was a worthwhile read! I loved all the different view points and completely believable scenarios that really made you feel a part of the time line. I was hoping for a happy ending......but I think the ending chosen was far more accurate.

This is a fascinating and very believable story during the American Civil War. It is a short story that will rip at your heart.

This was a fascinating read set during the American civilly war and set about real people during that time. I learnt so much and it was obvious that this is a well researched and historical facts are accurate . Historical fiction lovers will this book. I loved reading the authors note.
Thank you to Netgalley for an advanced copy of the this book, all opinions expressed are my own.

This debut novel feels like a real labour of love. As explained in the 'Notes from the Author' section, the story was inspired by local history and the life of a real Union soldier, William Henry Howe, who is buried close to the author's home in Pennsylvania. The author's extensive research on both Howe's life, and the American Civil War era more broadly, is clear throughout the story.

The tone is down-to-earth, and sometimes feels surprisingly gentle, noting subtle details, which adds to the sense of realism. It creates a vivid picture of time and place. I liked the empathy which the author has for Howe; he treats his subject kindly. This book is sure to appeal to Civil War history buffs, and I hope it finds a wider audience too.

'Notes from a Deserter' is not without its imperfections, but I really liked the ethos of the project, so on reflection I'm upping this to 5 ⭐

Many thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for the advance copy.