How to Dodge a Cannonball (Pre-order June 17, 2025)

PRE-ORDER FOR JUNE 17, 2025

How to Dodge a Cannonball by Dennard Dayle
💣 A wildly irreverent, genre-defying Civil War satire that skewers nationalism, race, and identity with biting humor and bold insight.

In a version of America you’ve never seen before—but maybe should’ve—Anders, a teenage idealist, enlists in the Union army to fight for a future he doesn’t fully understand. What starts as flag-waving patriotism spirals into a surreal odyssey through both sides of the Civil War, including time as a captured soldier, a reluctant Confederate, and eventually a self-proclaimed “octoroon” in a Black Union regiment—where things get really weird.

From draft riots to doomed charges, delusional leaders to divine grudges, How to Dodge a Cannonball is a darkly hilarious takedown of the American mythos. With a cast that includes a sci-fi playwright, a Haitian spy, and a man wrestling with God, this razor-sharp satire is funnier than the Civil War should ever be—and more urgent than you think.

🧨 Subversive Civil War satire that spares no one
🗽 Asks big questions about American identity, race, and who gets to belong
🎭 A bold blend of absurdist humor and historical fiction
📚 For fans of Paul Beatty, Percival Everett, and Catch-22

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