''Through the Wheat'', published in 1923, was the first book published by

Thomas Alexander Boyd Thomas Alexander Boyd (July 3, 1898 – January 27, 1935) was an American journalist and novelist, born in Defiance, Ohio. Boyd was raised by his mother's family due to his father's death before he was born. While still in school, he and a f ...

, about the experiences of a young American Marine during

World War I World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...

Book synopsis

''Through the Wheat'' follows the experience of William Hicks, an automatic rifleman in the

U.S. Marine Corps The United States Marine Corps (USMC), also referred to as the United States Marines, is the maritime land force service branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for conducting expeditionary and amphibious operations through comb ...

, through his first experience of combat, at Belleau Wood. He enlists in the summer of 1917, but spends a year in

France France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of Overseas France, overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic Ocean, Atlantic, Pacific Ocean, Pac ...

, where he serves as a military policeman, stevedore, and construction laborer. He doesn't see front-line action and combat until the summer of 1918, when the novel begins. First, Hick's company is sent to the front-line trenches, where they spend more than a month without fighting, and only once does Hicks, with a squad of men, leave the trenches to go on a small raid. However, during the raid, a communication mix-up causes their own lines to open fire on them, killing one of the squad and ending the raid. A few weeks later, the battalion is relieved from front-line duty. Not long after, the Germans begin their Spring Offensive, and Hick's company is sent to northern France to help repel the invasion. They engage the Germans, and fight the

Battle of Belleau Wood The Battle of Belleau Wood (1–26 June 1918) occurred during the German spring offensive in World War I, near the Marne River in France. The battle was fought between the U.S. 2nd (under the command of Major General Omar Bundy) and 3rd Divisi ...

, as one by one members of Hick's original platoon get picked off by gunfire, bombardment, gas, and even self-inflicted injury. By the end of the novel, everyone that Hicks knew a few months before is dead, and Hick himself has been so pushed by starvation, dehydration, and exhaustion that he is skirting the edge of

delirium Delirium (also known as acute confusional state) is an organically caused decline from a previous baseline of mental function that develops over a short period of time, typically hours to days. Delirium is a syndrome encompassing disturbances in ...

. The novel ends with Hicks losing all care in the world and going emotionally numb.

Reception

Contemporary reviews of ''Through the Wheat'' compared it to ''

The Red Badge of Courage ''The Red Badge of Courage'' is a war novel by American author Stephen Crane (1871–1900). Taking place during the American Civil War, the story is about a young private of the Union Army, Henry Fleming, who flees from the field of battle. Ove ...

''.

F. Scott Fitzgerald Francis Scott Key Fitzgerald (September 24, 1896 – December 21, 1940) was an American novelist, essayist, and short story writer. He is best known for his novels depicting the flamboyance and excess of the Jazz Age—a term he popularize ...

said that the novel was a "work of art" and published a review in the

New York Evening Post The ''New York Post'' (''NY Post'') is a conservative daily tabloid newspaper published in New York City. The ''Post'' also operates NYPost.com, the celebrity gossip site PageSix.com, and the entertainment site Decider.com. It was established i ...

praising the novel.

External links

Book entry on Biblio.com

Book review at strategypage.com
1923 American novels Novels set during World War I {{1920s-WWI-novel-stub