The Caged Bird Sings

A Young Man’s Untold War Chronicles

By: James Channing Shaw, Cal Orey

Narrated by: Joey Shaw

1940, in the Nazi-occupied city of Rouen, France.

Despite Germany’s stranglehold on the French, Benjamin Cohen, an introverted but musically talented adolescent, alters the course of his life when he defies his father to study the 55-bell carillon in the Catholic cathedral.

A coming-of-age epistolary novel, this story explores wartime dynamics between Catholic and Jewish, boy and girl, father and son, and two estranged brothers on their journeys through love, tragedy, and war. Can Benjamin’s budding mastery of the carillon and his love affair with the troubled novitiate nun Marie-Noëlle give him le courage he needs to perform the one act that can save his people from Nazi arrest and earn back the respect from his father he craves? Or will it doom them all?

Adventurous and unforgettable, filled with charm and unsettling alarm, this novel will leave its impact on listeners of all ages.

©2021 James Channing Shaw (P)2022 James Channing Shaw

Thoroughly enjoying story

An interesting and unique story from World War 2 incorporating music, medicine and love compassionately told. An excellent novel by Shaw and worth listening to.

Loved it

Beautifully written story that is a can’t-put-down (can’t-turn-off lol). Highly recommended.