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Speaker: Justin Collmann

Justin Collmann's debut historical fiction novel, Thirteen Fallen Horses, tells the story of Charles Russell Lowell, a cavalry officer in the Union Army, and explores the psychological and emotional toll of war on a young man burdened by family expectations and trauma.

In the spring of 1861, Charlie, a young man haunted by his father's failures and troubled by a lung damaged from consumption, is working a boring administrative job at an ironworks in Western Maryland. When the Civil War breaks out, he becomes an officer in the Union Army and looks forward to a glorious adventure. He fights at the battle of Antietam and distinguishes himself on the field but is shocked by the immense carnage, a total of 23,000 casualties in a single day.

When he returns home to Massachusetts to lead a new regiment, Charlie meets a young woman and falls in love. He balances the strain of command with this new romance and feels conflicted by his desire to stay home and have a family and the continued pressure to serve a role in the war. He experiences a mutiny in which he shoots and kills one of his own soldiers. With his return to the front pending, and haunted by the killing of his own soldier, Charlie faces a decision between his duty to his wife and his desire to serve his country.

Justin Collmann lives in Washington, DC where he enjoys spending time with family, friends, and his cat, Clementine. He loves music and plays the guitar and sings. He has always had a passion for history and been fascinated by the American Civil War since childhood.

Host Village: Northwest Neighbors Village
Limited to 100.
Registration is required by September 22nd.
Zoom link will be sent to registrants after registration.