Ma Chere Maman - Mon Cher Enfant - The Letters of Lucien and Louise Durosoir, 1914-1919

In August 1914, concert violinist Lucien Durosoir was on holiday with his mother Louise in Brittany, when the world changed, and he was called up. Swapping his instrument for a rifle, he was at the front a week later. Ma Chè re Maman – Mon Cher Enfant is the first-ever English translation of the letters of Lucien and Louise Durosoir. This collection provides a unique first-hand perspective on World War I. From his gruesome time in the trenches, watching as his comrades were killed beside him, to his transfer to a musical unit and work as a pigeon keeper with the composer André Caplet, Lucien wrote to his mother nearly every day, and she responded. The letters are rich with descriptions of conditions and battles, daily life at the front and Paris, music, and maternal guidance. They offer an intimate peek into the complicated relationship of two determined individuals.