How to Dodge a Cannonball

How to Dodge a Cannonball is funnier than the Civil War should ever be. It follows Anders, a teenage idealist who enlists and reenlists to shape the American Future—as soon as he figures out what that is, who it includes, and why everyone wants him to die for it. Escaping his violently insane mother is a bonus.Anders finds honor as a proud Union flag twirler—until he’s captured. Then he tries life as a diehard Confederate—until fate asks him to die hard for the Confederacy at Gettysburg. Barely alive, Anders limps into a Black Union regiment in a stolen uniform. While visibly white, he claims to be an octoroon, and they claim to believe him. Only then does his life get truly strange.

"This hilarious, smart satire about the Civil War follows a teen idealist who enlists to suss out who can actually achieve the American Dream. It's a madcap adventure."
―People"This is a fun, smart, (dare I say) instant classic of American lit. Dayle expertly pitches a cannonball into the American canon."
―Melanie Fleishman, Buyer at The Center for Fiction Bookstore

"Grand dreams, inflated egos, and cruel twists of fate are often the stuff of great satires and this first novel by Dayle evokes such classic accounts of the human condition in conflict as Candide, Catch-22, and at least a couple of books by Evelyn Waugh. Historical burlesque as lively in invention as it is ingenious in execution."
--Kirkus Reviews (Starred Review)"This epic novel channels the absurdity of Catch-22 and the whimsical invention of The Intuitionist. It's a blast."
--Publishers Weekly (Starred Review)"This is not the typical Civil War novel, but the dark humor and commentary on race, class, and the American experiment in the midst of its biggest test make for an entertaining, thought-provoking read."
--Library Journal"A heightened examination of America, this funny historical novel puts Dayle's comedic chops front and center."
--James Folta, LitHub"Dennard Dayle's second book certifies his talent. I can't think of a wittier, more hilarious or more relevant young writer. How to Dodge a Cannonball is the great Civil War novel I didn't know I needed, but now it is never leaving my shelf."
--Gary Shteyngart, New York Times bestselling author of Our Country Friends and Super Sad True Love Story"This is the Civil War send-up the American canon has been waiting for, and which today's America, still unsure which version of itself it wants to become, so sorely needs. Dayle is one of our sharpest, funniest, and most unrelenting writers."
--Jessi Jezewska Stevens, author of The Visitors and The Exhibition of Persephone Q"A sharp and chaotic skewering of everything America believes about itself, told from the point of view of a young man bumbling his way through the horrors of the Civil War. Full of absurdity and humanity in equal measure, Dayle treats warfare with all the reverence and respect it deserves, which is none."
--Jason Pargin, New York Times bestselling author of I'm Starting to Worry About This Black Box of Doom and If This Book Exists, You're in the Wrong Universe"Dennard Dayle is an electrifying new voice, savagely funny and scarily smart."
--Susan Choi, author of Trust Exercise and My Education