Death of a Cigarette by Timothy Webber

A masterful strike of symbolic storytelling, Death of a Cigarette: A Story of Survival, Memory, and Legacy by Timothy Webber captures the courage of service and the interconnectedness of memory. Imaginatively recounting the long journey of a sentient cigarette as it’s harvested in the tobacco fields of Virginia, assembled to life in a crowded factory, deployed overseas as a K-ration, and left miraculously unsmoked on the death-strewn beaches of Normandy, the author has cleverly crafted a silent but wise spectator to history in the making. Linguistically rich, this strange but affecting novel is a haunting testament to sacrifice, selflessness, and unspent purpose, transforming a familiar story of humble existence into an unconventional and unforgettable historical novella.