The Chords of War: A Novel Inspired by a True Story of Adolescence, War, and Rock 'N' Roll

By Samuel Gonzalez Jr. and Christopher Meeks

A teenage musician. A war he didn't expect. A life he doesn't understand.

As the Iraq War escalates in 2005, a group of young friends cling to music, ambition, and late-night dreams-trying to outrun the quiet fear of what comes next.

For Max Rivera, music isn't just passion-it's survival. Desperate to leave Florida and chase a future in film, he enlists in the Army-only to find himself on the front lines of a war he never truly understood.

In The Chords of War, Christopher Meeks and Samuel Gonzalez, Jr. tell a story that is at once humane and deeply attuned to the complexities of modern life, capturing the fragile space between youth and adulthood, hope and disillusionment.

Inside this novel, you'll find:
- A powerful coming-of-age story set during the Iraq War
- A vivid portrait of youth shaped by music and uncertainty
- A journey from punk rock dreams to the brutal realities of combat
- Inspired by the true story of Samuel Gonzalez Jr., now a Hollywood film director

If you were moved by stories of youth, music, and identity-or novels like The Things They Carried-The Chords of War delivers a deeply human, unforgettable journey.

"Wow, what a book. This is destined to become an instant classic." -Netgalley

"The Chords of War breaks clean of Vietnam and World War II war-writing traditions by portraying men and women agonizingly stalled between adolescence and adulthood." -Professor and Lt. Col. (Ret.) Peter Molin

"This novel needs to be read and shared. It's well-suited for a book discussion group willing to read substantive fare." -Linda Hitchcock, Midwest Book Review

2018 Medal Winner for a Best Book at Foreword Reviews.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0986326526
• ISBN13: 9780986326523
• Release Date: September 2017
• Publisher: White Whisker Books
• Length: 280 Pages
• Weight: 0.95 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.6" x 6.0" x 9.0"