The Faithful Ones: A Novel

THE FAITHFUL ONES: A NOVEL by Kathleen J. Waites is a haunting family drama and historical thriller rolled into one. Set in a 1941 boot camp, the story follows Edward Hohlfeld, a young recruit who refuses to fire his rifle and is subsequently committed to the notorious Byberry State Hospital, where abuse and gaslighting drive him toward psychological collapse. His younger sister, Mary, vows to uncover the reasons behind her brother’s downfall, tracing decades of secrecy through hospital records, art sketches encoded with trauma, and military bureaucracy. Waites, a former nun and scholar turned debut novelist, balances rigorous archival research with emotional storytelling to expose institutional cruelty, the price of conscience, and the long legacy of stigma and redemption. While its tone often leans toward sober reflection more than narrative thrill, the novel’s immersive atmosphere, lyrical detail, and moral urgency form a compelling reckoning with past injustices both familial and national.