The Deserter

The Deserter is the second novel in the Alford Saga, a historical series by filmmaker and author Paul Almond based on his own family's history in Canada. Set in 1854, the story follows James Manning, the son of Thomas Manning, who seeks adventure away from the Gaspé Peninsula. James enlists in the British Army and is sent to the front lines of the Crimean War, where he witnesses the horrors of battle and participates in the disastrous Charge of the Light Brigade. Traumatized by the carnage and disillusioned by the military, James makes the fateful decision to desert. The narrative follows his grueling journey back to the wilderness of Quebec, where he must face the consequences of his actions and attempt to build a life in a land undergoing its own turbulent transformation.

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