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lori_reads_everything's review
4.0
Cher Ami & Major Whittlesey is a heartbreakingly beautiful novel based on a very real cast of characters. Told in the alternating viewpoints of Major Whittlesey (who is leading the Lost Battalion) and Cher Ami (a homing pigeon who's charged with delivering a message to save said Lost Battalion), the story gives a raw and unsettling view of the first World War, and the physical, mental and emotional scars those soldiers took home with them.
While the story is heavy on action and harrowing storyline , it is also a not-so-subtley veiled story of identity (Cher Ami is wrongly presumed to be male, and Major Whittlesey tries to hide his homosexuality throughout).
Overall, this book is beautifully written, but heavy on the heart. It will stick with you long after you finish - and may bring out a few tears and long sighs before the end.
While the story is heavy on action and harrowing storyline , it is also a not-so-subtley veiled story of identity (Cher Ami is wrongly presumed to be male, and Major Whittlesey tries to hide his homosexuality throughout).
Overall, this book is beautifully written, but heavy on the heart. It will stick with you long after you finish - and may bring out a few tears and long sighs before the end.
debbiecuddy's review
4.0
This novel is based on the true story of Major Charles Whittlesey, an American soldier, the men of the "Lost Battalion", and the homing pigeon, Cher Ami, who served with the 77th division during WWI in France. I enjoyed having the chapters alternately narrated by Cher Ami and Maj. Whittlesey; it was interesting to read how they viewed the battles, the horrible conditions in the trenches, the suffering of the wounded, and the horrors of war. The chapters narrated by Cher Ami really tugged at my heart and made me think about how just how violent humans can be.
Both sad and beautiful, this was a fascinating book about a part of history I knew nothing about. When this pandemic is over and we can travel again, I would like to go to the WWI section of the Smithsonian and pay my respects to Cher Ami.
Both sad and beautiful, this was a fascinating book about a part of history I knew nothing about. When this pandemic is over and we can travel again, I would like to go to the WWI section of the Smithsonian and pay my respects to Cher Ami.
mor_7's review
emotional
reflective
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
bkish's review
5.0
extraordinary book by a highly intelligent and careful writer
It is somewhat historical fiction and it is fiction
there is so much in this book that is very creative and I am a Reader with a grounding in what is real.
I didnt know until I finished it that this is based on a real character who is Major Whittlesey in early 20s in NYC and in Argonne Forest with his men in 77th Batallion WWI. This book is about war and about humanity and about homosexuality and love it is also about animals and our relationship to Life. The stories are parallel that of the hen called a homing pigeon who runs 11 flying missions for this Batallion. She is Cher Ami. In those times without phones that we know pigeons were used to carry messages. So the events of this period of 1.5 years (I think that is right number) which includes time prior to the War and a few months after the final battle for them are fascinating and since it is fiction it is a complete creation bythe author. It is of Cher Ami life before her owner John puts her and her brother in a basket on a train to France. It is also of Charles Whittlesey and his "double" life growing up in Pittsfield and at Williams College and Harvard and on Wall street as a financial lawyer. The turning point for him akin to Cher Ami in a basket for France as homing pigeons for the Allies is when he enlists in the Army.
I will be thinking about this for some time. For sure it is also about War and the havoc that is wrecked in the lives of most all who are there..
Judy g
It is somewhat historical fiction and it is fiction
there is so much in this book that is very creative and I am a Reader with a grounding in what is real.
I didnt know until I finished it that this is based on a real character who is Major Whittlesey in early 20s in NYC and in Argonne Forest with his men in 77th Batallion WWI. This book is about war and about humanity and about homosexuality and love it is also about animals and our relationship to Life. The stories are parallel that of the hen called a homing pigeon who runs 11 flying missions for this Batallion. She is Cher Ami. In those times without phones that we know pigeons were used to carry messages. So the events of this period of 1.5 years (I think that is right number) which includes time prior to the War and a few months after the final battle for them are fascinating and since it is fiction it is a complete creation bythe author. It is of Cher Ami life before her owner John puts her and her brother in a basket on a train to France. It is also of Charles Whittlesey and his "double" life growing up in Pittsfield and at Williams College and Harvard and on Wall street as a financial lawyer. The turning point for him akin to Cher Ami in a basket for France as homing pigeons for the Allies is when he enlists in the Army.
I will be thinking about this for some time. For sure it is also about War and the havoc that is wrecked in the lives of most all who are there..
Judy g
fiddlesticks_23's review against another edition
dark
emotional
reflective
medium-paced
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
thain's review
5.0
Haunting story of war and sacrifice, told from the alternating perspectives of the commander of the Lost Battalion in the First World War and a homing pigeon who carried a vital message that saved them. I haven't cried so much reading a novel in a long time.
janicedsouza's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
4.5
bgg616's review
4.0
This is a story of World War I told through the eyes of American soldier Major Whittlesey, and English pigeon Cher Ami. It is a compelling story of a war that many Americans know relatively little about. We were late entering the war in April, 1917.It was a particularly brutal war with 9.7 military and 10 million civilian deaths.
Cher Ami , the homing pigeon, has been memorialized in Smithsonian’s National Museum of American History (https://www.si.edu/object/nmah_425415). It is my favorite of the many museums in the system, because of the diversity of exhibits which include the numerous racial and ethnic groups that make up our history. Homing pigeons were essential to communication during the war when radio communication was in its infancy, and of limited range.
Whittlesey is introduced in the post-war years. He is suffering physically and psychologically. His lungs have been permanently damaged by the chemical weapons used, most notably mustard gas. Psychologically, the scars of battle, and seeing so many of the men under his command killed and maimed, were not always taken in account. Charles Whittlesey, a native of Pittsfield, Massachusetts, a graduate of Harvard Law School, he left his law practice when placed on active duty in 2017. He was awarded a Medal of Honor by the U.S. Army, when he was discharged in 2018. In this novel, Whittlesey has a secret, his attraction to men.
Alternating chapters are told by Cher Ami and Whittlesey that describe the battlefield in detail. Whittlesea’s battalion is trapped behind enemy lines, and Cher Ami is credited with helping save them. This isn’t a spoiler as we know at the very beginning of the novel about the fates of each of the two characters. Having a pigeon narrate half of the story calls for quite a lot of anthropomorphism. This, at times, was over the top. But this is a compelling true story of a war that Americans know too little about and well worth reading.
I listened to the audiobook, but that edition wasn't an option. Loved it. This was a 4.5 star read for me.
Cher Ami , the homing pigeon, has been memorialized in Smithsonian’s National Museum of American History (https://www.si.edu/object/nmah_425415). It is my favorite of the many museums in the system, because of the diversity of exhibits which include the numerous racial and ethnic groups that make up our history. Homing pigeons were essential to communication during the war when radio communication was in its infancy, and of limited range.
Whittlesey is introduced in the post-war years. He is suffering physically and psychologically. His lungs have been permanently damaged by the chemical weapons used, most notably mustard gas. Psychologically, the scars of battle, and seeing so many of the men under his command killed and maimed, were not always taken in account. Charles Whittlesey, a native of Pittsfield, Massachusetts, a graduate of Harvard Law School, he left his law practice when placed on active duty in 2017. He was awarded a Medal of Honor by the U.S. Army, when he was discharged in 2018. In this novel, Whittlesey has a secret, his attraction to men.
Alternating chapters are told by Cher Ami and Whittlesey that describe the battlefield in detail. Whittlesea’s battalion is trapped behind enemy lines, and Cher Ami is credited with helping save them. This isn’t a spoiler as we know at the very beginning of the novel about the fates of each of the two characters. Having a pigeon narrate half of the story calls for quite a lot of anthropomorphism. This, at times, was over the top. But this is a compelling true story of a war that Americans know too little about and well worth reading.
I listened to the audiobook, but that edition wasn't an option. Loved it. This was a 4.5 star read for me.
sssnoo's review
4.0
4.5 rounded up. Loved this original, touching story. Homing/racing pigeons are amazing animals and they are brought to life here. Sure it’s anthropomorphic, but executed exceedingly well. So suspend belief and go with it. The WWI story is also well done and hits the reader in the heart. A strong recommendation.