Gettysburg

About the Book

Main characters include:

Joshua Brenard-A police officer

Philip Brenard-Politician and attorney, Joshuas brother

Max Holly-Public defender for the town of Gettysburg

Donald McSherry-Strange benefactor to Joshua Brenard and a captain in the Union army.

The Story:

We open the book in the bedroom of Joshua Brenard, a disgraced Philadelphia police officer who is now working for a suburban police department in Ambler, Pennsylvania. He has just awaken from a nightmare, which is punctuated by a strange voice that has haunted Joshua for months.

We follow Joshua back to his childhood and through other important events in his life, which include the introduction of his younger brother, Philip Brenard. Both brothers veer off to separate destinies, with Joshua becoming more and more dependent on Philip as he descends into a never ending cycle of failure and alcohol. In fact, Philip is the one who manages to find Joshua work after he loses his job with the Ambler police department. Through his political connections, Philip gets Joshua a job with the Gettysburg police department, far enough away from Philip so as not to embarrass him in the upcoming elections.

Soon after Joshua arrives in Gettysburg, he begins experiencing ghostly episodes which include the reoccurrence of the nightmares and the strange voice. An accident Joshua has in the boarding house where he is staying leads to a final confrontation with his brother, Philip. Philip tells Joshua in no uncertain terms that he cant mess up this

latest opportunity, because Philip just wont be able to help him anymore.

This leads Joshua to a fit of depression, and later that night after the meeting with his brother, he takes a walk to clear his head through one of the old battlefields of Gettysburg. During this walk, he is terrified by a series of phantasmic episodes, which leads to Joshua passing out on the field until the following morning. The next day, when he returns to the boarding house, Joshua learns that Philip Brenard is found dead in the same field where Joshua had spent the night.

Joshua is charged with his brothers murder, and is placed in the charge of public defender Max Holly. While in jail, a strange benefactor, Donald McSherry, posts bail for Joshua. This sets him free, but also ignites a series of events that ultimately leads to his death.

Max Holly discovers the body of Joshua in one of the towns old

battlefields soon after, and decides to press on with the investigation into the murders of both brothers. This leads to more supernatural episodes, which culminate in a replay of the fateful battle of Gettysburg, fought by the specters of both the Union and Confederate armies.

Donald McSherry, a captain in the Union forces, is found to be a traitor from the Confederate army, and his destiny, plus the destiny of the very town of Gettysburg itself, is intertwined with the fate of Joshua and Philip Brenard. At the end of the book, the only survivor of all of this is Max Holly, who must now live with the burden of protecting the legacy of the old Pennsylvania town.

Gettysburg is a ghost story, mystery, and morality play all wrapped up into one. The tension between the two brothers, Joshua and Philip Brenard, is the center piece of the story, and their fates are played out on the same battlefields where countless other brothers met theirs so long ago. By using the backdrop of the Civil War and Gettysburg for the centerpiece of the book, I hope to show that the ongoing fractures and

reconciliations that go on in all families is something that is universal, that the blood that runs through ourselves and our relations can be both bitter and, ultimately, redeeming.

About the Author