Chase The Wild Pigeons: A novel of the Civil War
With the bloody war closing in around them, how can two boys all alone possibly escape hundreds of miles through the ravaged South?

The Confederacy in 1863 is desperate and dangerous. For Joe Taylor, a twelve-year-old boy suddenly alone after his family was killed, and Peter, a sixteen-year-old black, it is a nightmare. In desperation, they form an unlikely alliance as they start a 600-mile journey into the unknown.

In this epic adventure, these two boys slowly develop a binding friendship as each pursues his own purpose and destination. However, will that friendship be enough to sustain them on the perilous trek out of the bloody and desperate South?

What others are saying:

"...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