Reviewed by Salina Coria for Readers' Favorite

The Faithful Ones by Kathleen J. Waites takes place during World War II. The story primarily revolves around Edward F. Hohlfeld, a young Catholic man from a working-class neighborhood in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. He loves art, particularly sketching and painting, and has a younger sister, Mary. In training camp, Edward observes the harsh treatment of a Quaker conscientious objector, Robert Holmes, by their drill sergeant, Stanley Kaczynski. Stanley soon targets Edward, partly due to his German background and perceived bellyaching about his conscience. That one act of conscience sets off a heartbreaking chain of events: a brutal assault by his drill sergeant, a wrongful commitment to a mental institution, and years of abuse, silence, and institutional betrayal. However, his sister, Mary, spends decades trying to figure out what actually happened to her brother. Based on real people and painstaking research, The Faithful Ones is as much a story about courage and conviction as it is about the unseen casualties of war.

The Faithful Ones is one of those rare books that pulls you in with the promise of a personal story and ends up handing you a mirror. The plot unfolds slowly, unveiling deep truths, injustice, and drama, making it more suspenseful. Waites's writing style is powerful, detailed, and easy to navigate. Edward is softly spoken but unbreakable. Mary is the kind of sister anyone would hope for—fierce, stubborn, and loving. Mary made me think about my siblings, and I wondered if I'd have that kind of determination. I finished the last page and just sat there, feeling like I’d witnessed something that mattered. Kathleen J. Waites didn’t just write a novel—she honored a life. And I felt every word of it. Because this is a novel rooted in a true family story and bolstered by extensive historical research, I recommend it to readers interested in the intersection of faith and ethics and those interested in historical fiction and World War II narratives.