Cher Ami and Major Whittlesey

A Novel

By: Kathleen Rooney

Narrated by: Juliana Canfield, Noah Michael Levine

"Both heartbreaking and sharply funny...Cher Ami and Major Whittlesey is brilliant and surprising at every turn."—Rebecca Makkai, Pulitzer finalist for The Great Believers

A heart-tugging and gorgeously written novel based on the incredible true story of a WWI messenger pigeon and the soldiers whose lives she forever altered, from the author of Lillian Boxfish Takes a Walk.

From the green countryside of England and the gray canyons of Wall Street come two unlikely heroes: one a pigeon and the other a soldier. Answering the call to serve in the war to end all wars, neither Cher Ami, the messenger bird, nor Charles Whittlesey, the army officer, can anticipate how their lives will briefly intersect in a chaotic battle in the forests of France, where their wills will be tested, their fates will be shaped, and their lives will emerge forever altered.

A saga of hope and duty, love and endurance, as well as the claustrophobia of fame, Cher Ami and Major Whittlesey is a tragic yet life-affirming war story that the world has never heard. Inspired by true events of World War I, Kathleen Rooney resurrects two long-forgotten yet unforgettable figures, recounting their tale in a pair of voices that will change the way readers look at animals, freedom, and even history itself.

Great historical fiction book

I always enjoy a really good historical fiction book. This was fantastic. I loved how the author wrote from the perspective of the pigeon. It was quite heartwarming. I had no idea about this piece of history. Thoroughly enjoyable

Interesting historical fiction creatively told

I particularly enjoyed the two points of view used in telling this story. It added a lot to this story. It also makes it clear that this is fiction by the fact Cher Ami is so philosophical. However, I still feel some discomfort when fiction is written from the point of view of a real person. It seems unfair to give the public a feeling of know this individual when the depiction could be way off base, especially as it relates to their thoughts and feelings.

Important story to read about war

This is an important book to read, as we are engaged in a war, now in the world, with no knowledge of where it is going to head. This is one of the best stories detailing what it’s like to actually be the war that I have ever read. I especially like the Back-and-forth between Sheramy and major Whittlesey.

So deeply grateful to have read this.

Beautiful storytelling and heartbreaking look at the bonds between human and animal. I was fascinated to read of a battle I’d never heard of and am really interested in visiting the Smithsonian to see Cher Ami in person. The author handled the topic with sensitivity and grace. The narrators were both perfectly cast. A truly important read - it’s one I will recommend to all and will likely revisit myself again soon.

Fabulous

This book was beautifully written and the narration was superb. I waited over a week to listen to the last hour and a half. Just didn’t want it to end.