Review by POPES M -- Letters to Sis y CW3 Cesare Giannetti, US Army (Ret)

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Suki Hillary
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Re: Featured Review by POPES M -- Letters to Sis y CW3 Cesare Giannetti, US Army (Ret)

Post by Suki Hillary »

I love the way they described the story ...it's very lovable one
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Oliver Namugerwa
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Post by Oliver Namugerwa »

This review has made me feel like picking up the book at this instant and start reading!! It is a great review. Well done!
Chitamilimo K
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Post by Chitamilimo K »

I really love how you have perfectly described the topic. thankyou for this. Helped a lot. Looking forward to reading the book.
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Post by Ebube Chima »

I love the pictures and interesting story.
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Gismar Melgarejo
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Post by Gismar Melgarejo »

It is so inspiring and thoughtful how these stories are so unique to the point where we feel connected to them, thank you for the review, It caught me from the begginig.
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B Sheila Holt
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Post by B Sheila Holt »

Wow! You have given us a beautiful review of this book. You have captured feelings and emotions and intriguing tidbits to make us want to run out and get it. Excellent job! I’d love to find this book and read it and see those photos.
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ROSEY-ANN
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Post by ROSEY-ANN »

POPES M wrote: 20 Dec 2020, 09:40 [Following is a volunteer review of "Letters to Sis" by CW3 Cesare Giannetti, US Army (Ret).]
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4 out of 4 stars
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Letters to Sis by Cesare Giannetti is a memoir that follows his journey in the U.S army between the years of 1987 to 1996. During his years of service, he consistently writes letters to his loved ones. Most of his letters are written to his sister, Marisa, who he considers to be his closest loved one. These letters are incorporated into the book, hence its name.

The book starts off in 1987, with 17-year-old Giannetti on his way to basic army training. Though he faces challenges, he quickly adapts to his new environment and thrives. He then moves to an army barracks in Germany where he faces numerous adversities, as he is in a foreign country and his army duties become more and more intense. However, in true Giannetti fashion, he overcomes and thrives in this new environment, forging new friendships and some romantic relationships. His time in Germany enables him to travel the European continent and even return home for some holidays. Though he enjoys his time there, it's no doubt that he misses his family, especially his sister.

He participates in the Gulf War of 1991 and a peacekeeping mission in Bosnia in 1995 and attests to the fact that his written interactions with his sister are what kept him going. Around this time, he receives heartbreaking news centred around his sister, changing the path the story once took. Regardless of this, Giannetti remains positive and continues to write to her. Towards the end of the book, Giannetti provides readers with a more intimate look at his life, his relationship with his sister and his family. In the end, everything comes together in a full-circle moment, that left me feeling an array of emotions. However, I cannot lie and say it wasn't a good ending. It was the perfect ending to a beautiful story.

What I loved most about this book is that it was such an easy read. The story flowed so well and I must give it to Giannetti. With the many letters in the book and some flashbacks here and there, the story managed to flow. I didn't feel like I was going back and forth. I also felt like he was talking to me as I read. It was as if we were having a conversation and he was telling me his story.

As someone with limited understanding of the army, I understood what Giannetti was trying to relay, as he explained all the jargons he used in the book. For example, TOC stands for Tactical Operation Center. I never felt lost and never had to research any terms as I understood what he was talking about. He also dives into a bit of history, which helps you understand the times, but it's not too technical, making it easy to understand.

Though this book is a memoir about a guy in the army, it has some very relatable moments that most, if not all of us have gone through at a point. I related to the aspects of family he wrote about, the need to enjoy your youth, how loving someone can cause one so much pain, and so much more. This only goes to show that we as humans are connected in more ways than we know.

I also loved the fact that he included pictures in the book. It was nice to put faces to the people mentioned.

These factors, among many others, are what made the book flow in such a beautiful way and made it an easy read.

The only negative aspect is that some paragraphs were too long. This, however, was such a minute detail, as very few paragraphs were like this.

Overall, I rate the book 4 out of 4 stars. The story flowed well, it was relatable and was easy to understand and read. I see myself reading this book again in a few years. It was also professionally edited, with very few errors.

I would recommend this book to readers who enjoy non-fiction books that talk about life, its many complexities and warm moments. I would also recommend it to readers who enjoy learning more about life in the army. With that being said, the book contains infrequent vulgarity.

******
Letters to Sis
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Nice review.Thanks
Lara Keir
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Post by Lara Keir »

It sounds like an interesting read, as well as something to learn on the army jargon. I'll consider it for my next read. Thank you for the great review!
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Aljun Jalandoni
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Post by Aljun Jalandoni »

:D I really liked Giannetti's last book, Back to Serve: Return of a Soldier, and I was looking forward to reading Letters to Sis: Memoirs of a Soldier. Both had a tone of honor and legacy, but this one was more emotionally charged because it was based on letters between the author and his late sister. To begin with, it was incredibly well-crafted, and you can sense the emotions expressed via the words and happenings. I definitely advise you to read it because it was both upsetting and intriguing. If Giannetti has any more stuff to share, I'll read it. Reading this book was a real honor for me.
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Amy Luman
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Post by Amy Luman »

I, myself, have been away from my first family. This resonates with me because even though I have learned lots of things, I still miss them. I may have to read this!
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Post by Victor Yusuf »

Awesome!, this book brings back and alive the one thing that's most needed but also most the one thing which is hardly got in the 21st century, that thing is love.
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Post by G_CReads »

Wow!!! The story is so amazing. Nice review.
I would be glad to read this awesome book.
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Post by Rehema Ngoli »

I love your review. It makes one want to read the book. Thank you for being precise.
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abderrahmane akkazi
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Post by abderrahmane akkazi »

i loved this review and i liked it so much i m not afan for these type of books but i really like it this time to be honest and this is a very good book on army and battles I would recommend this type of book to all the ages because it gives chanceto live and inspiration and all of the good things as i see
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Novela book
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Post by Novela book »

Wow what an amazing book. It has described the relationship and their emotions between the people really well. Great review.
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