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Chase the Wild Pigeons: A Novel of the Civil War
There was more to the Civil War than famous, glorified generals. In this well researched historical novel, you will see how the terrible war affected the folks on the homefront, too.
The Civil War South in 1863 is desperate and dangerous. For Joe, a 12-year-old boy suddenly alone and 600 mile from home, it's a nightmare come true.
This adventure story is a tale of a special friendship that only comes along once in a lifetime. Joe, who is white, and Peter, sixteen and a free Black, become unlikely friends and learn to depend on each other as they try to escape the desperate Confederate South.
Follow these two as they trek through a war-torn countryside and witness war at its worst, up close and personal. They travel through a landscape that has been decimated by brutal battles, and they encounter people that have suffered the extreme hardships and depredation of three years of war. All the while they learn to depend on each other and grow a binding love as special as any two brothers.
They will need each other more than they know-unknown to them, they are being pursued by a deranged killer.
What others are
". ..The triumph and terror these young boys faced during the civil war is unimaginable. I found myself cheering them on, almost crying for them. My heart broke, I laughed out loud and I was filled with anger and rage throughout the story. Not too many books can have people go through all those emotions and back again, but this one did..."- Courtney
"...Two young adolescent boys, one white age 12, and one black age 16, become indelibly imprinted on your mind. Because this is a character-driven story, you laugh and you cry, you love and you hate, you react and you reflect. Gschwend's heart and soul resonate on every page. The story is action-packed. The description is superb..."- Edwynne, Amazon.com Reviewer, Librarian and Retired English Teacher
"Set in the deep south, Chase the Wild Pigeons is a historically accurate novel that transports the reader back to the Civil War. The reader finds himself pulled into life on the Mississippi River , Southern culture and even Civil War era flora and fauna. Mr.Gschwend paints a vivid picture of the effects of war on a nation, especially from the stand point of a child. Chase the Wild Pigeons does a fine job of illustrating racial tensions across the south with out being offensive, and tells a lovely story of two young men who have only each other to rely on. Entwined into this entertaining story is adventure, one that makes it difficult to put down. I read this book into the wee hours of the night! I highly recommend this book!"- JennBryant, Amazon.com Reviewer
The Civil War South in 1863 is desperate and dangerous. For Joe, a 12-year-old boy suddenly alone and 600 mile from home, it's a nightmare come true.
This adventure story is a tale of a special friendship that only comes along once in a lifetime. Joe, who is white, and Peter, sixteen and a free Black, become unlikely friends and learn to depend on each other as they try to escape the desperate Confederate South.
Follow these two as they trek through a war-torn countryside and witness war at its worst, up close and personal. They travel through a landscape that has been decimated by brutal battles, and they encounter people that have suffered the extreme hardships and depredation of three years of war. All the while they learn to depend on each other and grow a binding love as special as any two brothers.
They will need each other more than they know-unknown to them, they are being pursued by a deranged killer.
What others are
". ..The triumph and terror these young boys faced during the civil war is unimaginable. I found myself cheering them on, almost crying for them. My heart broke, I laughed out loud and I was filled with anger and rage throughout the story. Not too many books can have people go through all those emotions and back again, but this one did..."- Courtney
"...Two young adolescent boys, one white age 12, and one black age 16, become indelibly imprinted on your mind. Because this is a character-driven story, you laugh and you cry, you love and you hate, you react and you reflect. Gschwend's heart and soul resonate on every page. The story is action-packed. The description is superb..."- Edwynne, Amazon.com Reviewer, Librarian and Retired English Teacher
"Set in the deep south, Chase the Wild Pigeons is a historically accurate novel that transports the reader back to the Civil War. The reader finds himself pulled into life on the Mississippi River , Southern culture and even Civil War era flora and fauna. Mr.Gschwend paints a vivid picture of the effects of war on a nation, especially from the stand point of a child. Chase the Wild Pigeons does a fine job of illustrating racial tensions across the south with out being offensive, and tells a lovely story of two young men who have only each other to rely on. Entwined into this entertaining story is adventure, one that makes it difficult to put down. I read this book into the wee hours of the night! I highly recommend this book!"- JennBryant, Amazon.com Reviewer
323 pages, Paperback
Published November 25, 2011
146 people are currently reading
174 people want to read
About the author
John Gschwend
8 books18 followersMy name is John J Gschwend Jr. My friends call me Jody. I'm from a small town in Arkansas and my stories reflect my southern and country raising. I like history, the wild outdoors, primitive skills and unexplained phenomena. If you read my novels and short stories you will discover a little bit--well maybe a lot--of this in there.
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Displaying 1 - 20 of 20 reviews
March 28, 2017
Another surprising freebie!
Historically accurate, sweet and painful.
Ok, here is my quick summary and jumble of a mess review:
Two boys, one white (Joe) the other black (Peter) find themselves alone and traveling/running from Arkansas to Virginia to find Joe's father who was last known to be fighting for the confederates. They travel through war torn states encountering many people, witnessing so much pain and injustice to bring Joe back home to the Shenandoah Valley and hopefully his father, who is hopefully still alive.
This is a comming of age tale, and of course as their journey comes to an end, both Peter and Joe have certainly grown into brave men.
I laughed, I cried, I loved and lost with both these incredible characters. The two were completely different personalities but both were so lovable.
Joe-A prankster and brave to the point of being reckless. He was strong for a 13 year old, and also wise in some ways. he seems to always find trouble, and trouble seemed to find him too.
Peter-Born free in Pennsylvania, never having been a slave, is educated and religious. He prefers to avoid conflict (unlike Joe who seems to cause it) and is more of a sensitive lad (at 16).
The two compliment each other well and their bond of friendship grows stronger every day as their journey progresses.
The ending was a bit sad, but still leaves off on a high note, and a laugh. I wish the book was longer, wish we could see what becomes of Joe and Peter after the war ends. (This is not a spoiler since we all know it ends IMO :P).
There are religious tones, but it is not preachy. Thus the tags for christian and religious.
I really loved this story. I suppose since I spent alot of my life visiting the south (particularly Virgina and the Shenandoah Valley area) I am a little biased. I loved the descriptions of the scenery (not overdone) and I felt like I was truly there.
This book is written with great historical accuracy. This includes the dialogue. The author states in his Forward to not be insulted by some of the language, for he is certainly NOT a racist, but in keeping with the time period, words that are not appropriate today are used.
The book was written in a way that did not favor North or South but simply showed that both sides were just as bad as the other. The author also goes into a little bit of history like how the war was not really about slavery but cotton, etc.. and I was glad that this was not written in a history lesson style but in a way that even people like me (history illiterate) can understand and enjoy.
The pace was perfect for me, clearly a character driven book with some conflicts and a few realistic battle scenes.
Overall I am glad to have found a new fave author. I would recommend this to friends who like historical fiction and comming of age tales. I plan to read more of this authors work.
Content: There was violence of course, and some mention of how some slaves were abused/tortured but not much. One mention of a couple having sex (Joe caught them in the act by accident), but it was not detailed or described. Mild cursing. No rape.
Romance peeps:
Historically accurate, sweet and painful.
Ok, here is my quick summary and jumble of a mess review:
Two boys, one white (Joe) the other black (Peter) find themselves alone and traveling/running from Arkansas to Virginia to find Joe's father who was last known to be fighting for the confederates. They travel through war torn states encountering many people, witnessing so much pain and injustice to bring Joe back home to the Shenandoah Valley and hopefully his father, who is hopefully still alive.
This is a comming of age tale, and of course as their journey comes to an end, both Peter and Joe have certainly grown into brave men.
I laughed, I cried, I loved and lost with both these incredible characters. The two were completely different personalities but both were so lovable.
Joe-A prankster and brave to the point of being reckless. He was strong for a 13 year old, and also wise in some ways. he seems to always find trouble, and trouble seemed to find him too.
Peter-Born free in Pennsylvania, never having been a slave, is educated and religious. He prefers to avoid conflict (unlike Joe who seems to cause it) and is more of a sensitive lad (at 16).
The two compliment each other well and their bond of friendship grows stronger every day as their journey progresses.
The ending was a bit sad, but still leaves off on a high note, and a laugh. I wish the book was longer, wish we could see what becomes of Joe and Peter after the war ends. (This is not a spoiler since we all know it ends IMO :P).
There are religious tones, but it is not preachy. Thus the tags for christian and religious.
I really loved this story. I suppose since I spent alot of my life visiting the south (particularly Virgina and the Shenandoah Valley area) I am a little biased. I loved the descriptions of the scenery (not overdone) and I felt like I was truly there.
This book is written with great historical accuracy. This includes the dialogue. The author states in his Forward to not be insulted by some of the language, for he is certainly NOT a racist, but in keeping with the time period, words that are not appropriate today are used.
The book was written in a way that did not favor North or South but simply showed that both sides were just as bad as the other. The author also goes into a little bit of history like how the war was not really about slavery but cotton, etc.. and I was glad that this was not written in a history lesson style but in a way that even people like me (history illiterate) can understand and enjoy.
The pace was perfect for me, clearly a character driven book with some conflicts and a few realistic battle scenes.
Overall I am glad to have found a new fave author. I would recommend this to friends who like historical fiction and comming of age tales. I plan to read more of this authors work.
Content: There was violence of course, and some mention of how some slaves were abused/tortured but not much. One mention of a couple having sex (Joe caught them in the act by accident), but it was not detailed or described. Mild cursing. No rape.
Romance peeps:
February 15, 2012
I won this book from a goodreads.com first reads giveaway. Let me say first that I absolutely LOVED this book. The triumph and terror these young boys faced during the civil war is unimaginable. I found myself cheering them on, almost crying for them. My heart broke, I laughed out loud and I was filled with anger and rage throughout the story. Not too many books can have people go through all those emotions and back again, but this one did. It was a great story of survival, the best of friends beating the odds together and growing into young men, proud young men. It reaffirms the fact that race is only skin deep and underneath, the blood still runs red in everyone. No matter what side you are on, we all still want the same goal...peace and happiness. Kudos to these characters for never giving up on their dreams. Amazing story. So glad I was lucky enough to read it.
July 11, 2012
This is a good book about two boys (one a mischievous white boy and the other one a black boy who feels a duty to watch over the white boy) journey by foot across the war ravaged Southern states during the Civil War. The reason for their journey is that the white boy has been staying with an uncle in Arkansas and is desparate to go back home to Virginia to be with his father who is a confederate soldier. The war has left a path of destruction and deprivation on both the land and the people that they meet along the way. The author provides a good study about how some people turn ugly as a result of their experiences and some people remain strong and compassionate. Of course, the trip has an impact on both boys as well and they are also changed by the things that happen to them. One of the boys is strengthened throughout the experience by his faith in God although he has questions about “why??” God is allowing this war to take such a toll.
October 23, 2012
I loved this book although there were several instances of incorrect usage of words and misspellings,,hello, where were the proofreaders and/or editors? The relationship between Joe and Peter was endearing and the way they each felt they were needed by the other was moving. The author did a good job of depicting the horrors of war and the treatment of slaves. I can't help but hope there is a sequel coming. I would like to know if Peter finds his way back to Zuey, then home to Pennsylvania safely. I like books that give a true accounting of what life was like during a certain period in our history and I think this did that very well
March 15, 2013
Every time I thought this book was falling into a standard pattern something would unexpectedly occur and change the pace back to a decent read. I liked the story being much more about the civilian population's trials during the Civil War with just an inkling of soldiering. The Joe character was a bit over the top and his extemporaneous meetings with a couple of top Generals might have been tempered a bit. But a well written story.
July 17, 2013
I loved the story, especially the character of Peter, but I didn't think it was particularly well written.
Took place during the Civil War and was about 2 boys, 1 black 1 white who were trying to make it from Arkansas to Virg.. Related their journey and the devastation of the War as well as interesting characters along the way.
Took place during the Civil War and was about 2 boys, 1 black 1 white who were trying to make it from Arkansas to Virg.. Related their journey and the devastation of the War as well as interesting characters along the way.
December 10, 2012
A great view of the Civil War from a very human perspective.
January 20, 2019
What a wonderful read.
This is.a story of 2 young boys and the longing of their hearts. They are able to get away from a plantation was almost fully destroued. One boy a free black, another a white boy want to make it to the Sheondoah River where he hopes some of his family alive. Both boys while not but teenagers set off on the trek home. Their adventures and wonderful storyline keeps you hoping to the end. It create the civil war as a picture and brings. Along other groups of people that you rarely hear about. This author has made me a new fan.
This is.a story of 2 young boys and the longing of their hearts. They are able to get away from a plantation was almost fully destroued. One boy a free black, another a white boy want to make it to the Sheondoah River where he hopes some of his family alive. Both boys while not but teenagers set off on the trek home. Their adventures and wonderful storyline keeps you hoping to the end. It create the civil war as a picture and brings. Along other groups of people that you rarely hear about. This author has made me a new fan.
December 20, 2018
Loved this book
I liked this book because the author captured the complexity of the civil war by describing the struggles between good and evil within slavery, the Confederacy, and the union.
I liked this book because the author captured the complexity of the civil war by describing the struggles between good and evil within slavery, the Confederacy, and the union.
May 16, 2020
Good story!
I had no idea about this story of a white boy and a dark together as brothers. The brothers certainly have lots of adventures during the war between the North and the South. Good booj!
I had no idea about this story of a white boy and a dark together as brothers. The brothers certainly have lots of adventures during the war between the North and the South. Good booj!
March 19, 2023
This was a good book. It hads a solid storyline, likable characters and good details. It’s a story of two boys traveling together during the Civil War, and their friendship. It has many funny moments, and moments of sadness.
December 10, 2019
Good coming of age story, and also good for Civil War history buffs. Not too very heavy, but some drama. Not for very sensitive people maybe.
June 17, 2020
Really enjoyed this novel, the story really got me thinking. A great read!
Read
November 28, 2021Enjoy
So often, we don't realize the full extent of the suffering during the Civil War, but this book makes it.personal.
So often, we don't realize the full extent of the suffering during the Civil War, but this book makes it.personal.
June 1, 2020
War certainly is hell but I never knew just how awful it can be for all the innocent people! Great story though and so well written.
Read
March 10, 2017Just WOW!
Once you start this book you won't be able to put it down until you're done! I read it within 24 hours! This book is engrossing, exciting and you feel like you are with the characters on their journey. The characters are likable and you feel as if you're experiencing the war yourself.
Once you start this book you won't be able to put it down until you're done! I read it within 24 hours! This book is engrossing, exciting and you feel like you are with the characters on their journey. The characters are likable and you feel as if you're experiencing the war yourself.
July 2, 2012
This was a really good Civil War book highlighting the tragic nature of war in general and the Civil War specifically. The fact that it was family against family, friend against friend makes it even tougher. How can a thoughtful, reasonable person turn so vitriolic against a neighbor or a brother? It made no sense yet it happened and this book focuses on the human side of the war and how it affected the average "Joe".
The story was sweet and heartwarming, yet it clearly portrayed the terrors and hardships suffered during this time. It was also spiritual in tone, but never preachy. It covers the story of two young men who become an unlikely family.
The story was sweet and heartwarming, yet it clearly portrayed the terrors and hardships suffered during this time. It was also spiritual in tone, but never preachy. It covers the story of two young men who become an unlikely family.
October 22, 2016
Two teens, one 13 and white, the other 16 and black, leave Arkansas after a Civil War battle in their town and the deaths of an uncle and mother to reach the Shenandoah Valley in Virginia. In their journey they come in contact with every facet of human integrity. Through their trials they remain loyal to one another. Peter's enduring faith in God is inspiring despite the hatred that he encounters because of his color and Joe seems to be a perfect example of what today would be labeled ADHD. A page turning account of how war destroys the people and the land.
April 22, 2016
Yup, it's good.
Loved the way the author kept the story charged with action and emotion.
I look forward to reading more of the author.
Loved the way the author kept the story charged with action and emotion.
I look forward to reading more of the author.
April 17, 2017
A powerful story of friendship.
Excellent novel about interracial friendship. From start to finish this book will paint a picture of the Old South and it's people.
Excellent novel about interracial friendship. From start to finish this book will paint a picture of the Old South and it's people.
Displaying 1 - 20 of 20 reviews