A Reluctant Rebel

A Reluctant Rebel tells the story of the life and love of William Harding. It takes place in nineteenth century Virginia and focuses on the years before, during, and just after the Civil War.

John H. Harding Jr. was born in Northumberland County, Virginia. His ancestors came to the Northern Neck of Virginia in the seventeenth century. He attended local schools, graduated from the College of William and Mary and taught school for one year before serving two years in the army. In 1960, he graduated from the Medical College of Virginia's School of Dentistry. He returned to Northumberland County where he practiced for 31 years. After retirement, he raised cattle and began to write. A Reluctant Rebel is his third book. The story in it is based on stories about and papers left by William Harding.