The Long Morning at St. Brendan's
A Novel of 1973

About this book:

In the bitter December of 1973, the iron bell of St. Brendan’s chapel summons sixty boys to a day that will decide their futures. As Julian Reed shivers in his dormitory, the draft lottery looms like a dark prophecy, and every whispered conversation in the quad, the refectory, and the cold stone chapel carries the weight of a number that could send a lad to rice paddies or keep him safely behind a lecture hall.

The novel follows Julian, his cynical roommate Miller, the privileged Teddy, and a cast of sharply drawn classmates as they navigate chapel duties, smuggling trunks, secret societies, and the looming televised drawing that will read their birthdays like a grim lottery. With each page, the atmosphere thickens—coal smoke, frozen rivers, and the faint hymns of a chapel that feels more like a courtroom than a sanctuary—while the boys grapple with fear, loyalty, and the desperate hope that a low number might be a blessing in disguise.

*The Long Morning at St. Brendan’s* captures a pivotal moment in American history with the intimacy of a coming‑of‑age tale and the suspense of a ticking clock. If you’ve ever wondered what it feels like to watch your fate being drawn from a glass bowl while the world outside holds its breath, this is the novel that will pull you in and keep you turning pages until the final bell tolls.