Departures

About the Book

This novel takes place in a small town in Indiana during the period 1938-1942. The principal characters are four brothers, their parents, and another youth. Within a period of three years, they all go off to war. Departures is not so much a war novel as it is a story of the dynamics of a family when world events subject it to emotional trauma. The central themes of the book are family loyalty, parental authority, religion and sex. The pivotal character, Jubie, the youngest of the four brothers, is a rebel who asserts himself into a fateful confrontation with his strict and unyielding mother. It is a classic tale of an irresistible force meeting an immovable object. It is also a story of moral convictions and decency gone awry, ending tragically. Right becomes wrong and courage is the messenger of doom.

About the Author

The author, W. Doug1as Hartley, grew up in Indiana, attended school there and went into the Army from there at the beginning of World War II. He completed his college degrees after the war. He has been a high school teacher, college teacher for 35 years, and professional portrait sculptor. He has been a published author since 1953 and a watercolorist since 1950. He has three children and four grandchildren. A widower since 1992, he spends time visiting family members and painting watercolor landscapes.