Letters to Sis: Memoirs of a Soldier - Cw3 Cesare Giannetti, U S Army (Ret)

Letters to Sis: Memoirs of a Soldier
Cw3 Cesare Giannetti, U S Army (Ret)

Letters to Sis originated from the letters I wrote my sister, from when I first enlisted into Army, to her death, following a short and fierce battle with breast cancer. Over that 9 year period I was stationed overseas; beginning with the fall of the Berlin wall. Next, I deployed to the Persian Gulf War for Operation Desert Storm. Then, I went to Bosnia-Herzegovina, (the former Yugoslavia) for peacekeeping operations. And Finally, I went back to Germany as security for the U.S. consulate in Frankfurt. When I retired from the Army I thought I could use the letters to memorialize my sister, as well as chronicle those years in a memoir. Ultimately, I wanted to share with my daughter the unique and worldly experiences in my life, as well as tell her about some good people we lost along the way and how a very special person helped me through it all. 

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Please Pass the Books Review

Letters to Sis by Cw3 Cesare Giannetti, U S Army (Ret), is the memoir of its author, built around a compilation of letters and conversations between himself and his sister, Marisa. It begins with Giannetti as a green, optimistic seventeen-year old, and then follows him as he is stationed over the years throughout Europe and the Persian Gulf, in some of US modern military history's most momentous episodes. Throughout all his stations, war, relationships, and personal growth, he has the unwavering support of his sister, who is ultimately thrust into a battle of her own. In the most heartbreaking turn of events, Giannetti—who has proven an ability to combat anything—is helpless in the face of his sister's illness.

In the age of military memoirs that focus almost exclusively on the acts of war, the heroism of the writer, and its aftermath alone, Letters to Sis breaks the mold on its genre. Giannetti takes us on his journey and, while giving us a first person account of his experiences, he is also able to dig much deeper and show a side we haven't seen before. By dancing between letters, dialogue, and his own narrative, additional characters are much more thoroughly developed than most first person accounts. And they should be, because Giannetti's characters are real people—as are his experiences. Letters to Sis doesn't have any of the loathsome humble-bragging one might expect. On the contrary, Giannetti displays the humility and honor one would hope for in a veteran, and he cloaks it nobly in a remarkable story of struggle, growth, and love.

FOUR STARS


This review was written by Please Pass the Books for Readers' Favorite.