New Books In Literature

The Faithful Ones (Invictus Press, 2025) chronicles a rarely explored intersection in World War II history—the entanglement of the U.S. military, conscientious objectors, and state mental institutions. The novel unfolds in 1941, where the working-class in Port Richmond, Philadelphia, debate duty to country versus loyalty to conscience. Despite his pacifist convictions, Edward Hohlfeld complies with Uncle Sam’s call, reporting for duty with a conflicted heart. However, his principled stance on the basic training firing range sets off a chilling chain of events, landing him in a barbaric state asylum. Branded mentally unfit and abandoned by the very institutions meant to protect him, Edward becomes a prisoner within his own country. His mysterious downfall drives his younger sister, Mary, on a decades-long quest to uncover the truth and reclaim her brother’s stolen honor. Kathleen (Kate) Joyce Waites is a Philadelphia native, former nun, scholar, author, and emerita professor at Nova Southeastern University in