Norristown Man, Montco Professor Writes 'Red Badge Of Courage' Sequel

NORRISTOWN, PA — One of the most widely known classic works in American literature now has a sequel, and it's borne out of the mind of a Norristown native and a Montgomery County Community College professor.

Unlike Stephen Crane, the author of the canonical "Red Badge of Courage," Montco's Donald Yost is an armed forces veteran. The 76-year-old says he was inspired by his students and the age range of the main character, but also by the ending of the great novel itself.

“[Crane’s] book wasn’t finished," he told the college. "This is a coming of age book. My market is college students and Henry (the main character in "Red Badge Of Courage") is 16 or 17 years old. I can’t find any other books about it."

Published in 1895 when Crane was just 24, the novel is a study in realism. It portrays the experiences of a teenage soldier in the Union Army during the Civil War and investigates everything from the nature of courage and fear to the way in which individuals are lost amidst the vast institutional struggle which war represents.

According to the college, Yost's novel “Henry: A Sequel to Stephen Crane's ‘The Red Badge of Courage,’” picks up Henry's story after he is wounded in the Battle of Gettysburg. He then runs a winery and becomes the mayor of a small town in New York as he recovers from the physical and psychological traumas of war.

Yost has taught at MCCC for 12 years, but previously served with the U.S. Army’s America l Division, 11th Infantry Brigade in the Vietnam War. He has written a memoir on PTSD, “Blessings: Transforming My Vietnam Experience." He earned a Purple Heart and Combat Infantryman’s Badge for his service.