Review: Letters to Sis by CW3 Cesare Giannetti

A stirring memoir in an unusual form, Letters to Sis by CW3 Cesare Giannetti is an intimate look into the everyday lives of ordinary servicemen, and a peek behind the curtain at the lives they leave behind.

A blend of non-fiction epistolary writing and narrative confession, this book is deeply personal and revealing about the author’s lived experiences, during his years before, during, and after serving in the US Army. Telling the story via letters gives the book genuine emotion and honesty in these scribbled snapshots of prose, while Giannetti’s dramatic accounts of his service fill in the blanks, providing context for the pieces of information he shares with his sister.

From festivals he’d been attending and new romantic flings to training stressors, plans for leave, and reminiscence about seminal moments from their youth together, the letters are tender and unpolished streams of truth. There is also the unadulterated excitement of a young man setting off to see the world for the first time, coupled with the hard realization that not all adventures are good ones.

The intimacy and familiarity on display in Gianetti’s recollections are authentic and heartwarming throughout. His connection with his sister acted as a lifeline to his life back home, and when he receives news of her diagnosis, the mood of the book’s ending changes dramatically. The reflections become more poignant and existential, and the author’s goal of highlighting the person who helped him through it all is certainly achieved. The inclusion of song lyrics from dozens of tunes is an added slice of personality – some are songs that he and his sister both loved growing up, while others are those that helped him get through a tough time, or those with unexpected significance or meaning as he matured.

The author has a clear curiosity about the world and genuine compassion for people, which is not always apparent in the hard-nosed accounts of veterans. Being in the military during the late-80s and 90s, Giannetti experienced the war in Kuwait and violence in Yugoslavia, two modern conflicts that are notably underrepresented in American military memoirs. Another unique dimension is his consistent contentment and passion for what he was doing, as well as a shared hesitance to return to the States, as he was often “living the life.” Many stories like this often contain a touch of resentment, regret, or reassessment of the ultimate mission, but this account is generally positive, with the exception of his service taking him away from his beloved family.

On a technical level, much of the narration contains the same procedural details and informal style of the letters, and a starker difference in tone would have been effective. However, there are very few errors, evidence of a strong editor who made the writing as impactful as possible. As a whole, it will be hard for any reader to reach the end without gut shots of emotion, as the book is a strong reminder that the men and women who serve are susceptible to the same tragic struggles and beautiful surprises as everyone they are sworn to protect.