The Captain's Shadow

Abstract

The Captain’s Shadow is a historically inspired fantasy novel set during the early 1950s, in a country that had just won a horrible war, but now, for the first time, begins to question its choices. Frederick is an 11-year-old boy who lives in a vacuum: he dreams of glory and being a great war hero, but he lives at the onset of peaceful times, albeit with postwar scarcity and reconstruction of the country. With an innate military talent and the spark of a superiority complex, Frederick's fantasies and desires are always belied by the harsh reality of having to deal with scarce military training, funding, and endless bureaucratic work. Frederick’s stated goal is to get revenge on Captain Harrison, who brought Frederick’s older brother back from the front, crippled and bitter. The pain and hurt and ramifications of the offense are so deep that it haunts the boy for years. Courage, patriotism, and honor will all be questioned at a time when kids are supposed to be seen and not heard. Meanwhile, the adults don't lead, don't serve as role models, and simply no longer have the energy or desire to do so. Thus, this kid will become The Captain’s obsessive pursuer, having his hatred at times softened, and at other times intensified.