A Few Small Candles

by Larry Gara, Lenna Mae Gara

Little is known about those who openly refused to enter military service in World War II because of their convictions against killing. While many of those men accepted alternative civilian service, more than 6,000 were incarcerated with sentences ranging from a few months to five years. Some were tried, convicted, and reimprisoned for essentially the same offense―resisting induction into the armed forces―after their initial release. In A Few Small Candles, ten men tell why they resisted, what happened to them, and how they feel about that experience today. Their stories detail the resisters’ struggles against racial segregation in prison, as well as how they instigated work and hunger strikes to demonstrate against other prison injustices. Each of the ten has remained active in various causes relating to peace and social justice. This is a unique collection of memoirs that illuminated the American homefront during World War II and provides an important source for those interested in the American peace movement.

224 pages, Hardcover

First published February 1, 1999

About the author

Larry Garza was emeritus professor of history at Wilmington College, where he taught from 1962 through 1992.

Reviews

[Tierney Matz · Rating 3 out of 5]

I technically didn't finish this book. The stories were really interesting and thought provoking, but I struggled with the style of the book.

[Jenn · Rating 2 out of 5]

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