In His Stead: A Father's War

American novelist Judith Sanders’s contemporary novel In His Stead: A Father’s War (2012) follows a war veteran who fights for the right to take his son’s place on the front lines when his son is called up to serve in the US Army. It received a nomination for the 2012 National Indie Excellence Awards, and critics praise it for capturing the essence of war, love, and family. Sanders worked as a military nurse in Maryland. She wrote In His Stead, her second novel, to honor war veterans and their families.

Retired Army Ranger Thomas served in the US Army for 13 years. He is married to Christine, with whom he has two sons, Tommy and Donnie, and a daughter, Chrissy. Now that he has left the Army, Thomas runs his own business, living a quiet, peaceful life. Though he believes it is an honor to serve in the US Army, he developed PTSD after fighting in the Persian Gulf and couldn’t fight any longer. Although he still misses active duty, he does not miss the horrors of war.

Thomas’s eldest son, Tommy, who also serves in the US Army, is on tour in Afghanistan when the book begins. A diligent, hard-working young man who always plays by the rules, he will do anything to keep his father happy. Donnie, on the other hand, is a free spirit. He loves punk rock, partying, and hanging out with friends; he will never follow in his father’s footsteps.



One day, the Lane family receives terrible news. Tommy has died on a humanitarian mission to help civilians in Afghanistan. To make matters worse, enemy soldiers filmed the episode and it is circulating on YouTube. Thomas feels responsible for his son’s death because he let him join the US Army.

The family struggles to cope with their grief. The death puts a strain on Thomas’s marriage; he doesn’t know how much longer the family can hold together. Thomas spends his nights re-watching Tommy’s death on YouTube, and the tragedy triggers his own mental health problems. He can’t sleep, and he has constant flashbacks.

Meanwhile, Thomas loses control of Donnie. Drinking heavily, Donnie is always out with friends. He doesn’t care about school anymore, and he won’t talk about his feelings. Not knowing how to handle him, Thomas and Christine spend so much time worrying about Donnie that they forget about Chrissy.



One night, the police call Thomas to tell him they have arrested Donnie for drunk driving and disorderly conduct. Deciding that he has had enough of Donnie’s behavior, Thomas thinks it is time for an intervention. He warns Donnie that a DUI is a serious offense—it is enough to put him in jail. Donnie claims that no one cares about him anyway, because he will never measure up to Tommy.

Thomas tells Donnie he has two options—he can face trial for the DUI, or he can join the National Guard. He won’t take any money from Donnie, as long as he promises to put his salary towards college. Recognizing that this is his chance to prove his worth to everyone, Donnie chooses the National Guard.

Now that Donnie is serving with the National Guard, Thomas thinks that his troubles are over. He knows that Donnie doesn’t belong in military service, but he shouldn’t ever get called up for active duty. Shortly after signing up, however, Donnie is called up to Afghanistan—just like Tommy.



Thomas refuses to let Donnie go. He cannot face the thought of losing another son. Christine is hysterical, blaming Thomas for everything. Thomas consults his lawyer friend, Frank, who serves in the National Guard. He asks Frank if there is any way to get Donnie out of active duty. Frank isn’t optimistic, but he promises to investigate.

After a while, Frank finds an unexpected loophole from the Civil War. Known as the “In My Stead” rule, if someone is called up for active duty, someone else can volunteer to go in their place, or in their stead. Believing this is the only way to save Donnie’s life, Thomas is prepared to take his place on the front line.

After some discussion, Thomas and Donnie tell Christine about their situation. She is angry at being forced to choose between losing a husband or a son. Thomas explains that he failed one son, and he refuses to fail another. It’s time to make things right. Christine leaves Donnie and Thomas to make their final decision. Together, they decide to invoke the special law. They make their case, and Thomas wins the right to go to war in Donnie’s place. Whether he survives or not is left open for readers to guess.