A Marginally Noted Man

In A Marginally Noted Man, Will Nicol returns to Hastings County to rebuild his life after the horrific aftermath of war on the Western Front and to seek comfort in the arms of his forbidden love and widowed niece. With Leah by his side, Will attempts to banish the memories that have scarred his mind and body and continue to plague him.

Will struggles to reconcile his status as a war hero with the traumatizing memory that he can’t contain. Despite employing the teachings of the Trappist monks who tended him during a six-month convalescence following the war, Will soon realizes that to regain his sanity he must come to terms with the past. Together with his comrade-in-arms, Michael Isaacs a Mohawk from Tyendinaga, Will returns to the scene of a fateful mission to confront his guilt and unburden his mind.

Anne Shmelzer chronicles the poignant and memorable tale of one man’s attempts to confront the truth of war and find redemption. Her vivid portrayal of the human trauma that accompanies war is both haunting and relevant.

Anne Shmelzer displays an acute understanding of the warfare experience. She shines a light on the early emergence of PTSD and creates a vivid image of Will Nicol’s internal struggle to regain his mental health. From the battlefields of the Western Front to his reintegration into society, A Marginally Noted Man takes us on an emotional journey that is difficult to put down. This is a great read!

-Col Rakesh Jetly CD OMM MD FRCPC, Senior Psychiatrist, Canadian Armed Forces