Shifting loyalties

the long version

Shifting loyalties is a sweeping exploration of the lives of five young Chicano men before, during, and after the Vietnam War. The novel travels time and space - from Southern California in the 50's to the jungles of Vietnam in the 60's to Spain in the 70's and Pennsylvania in the 80's. The result of this far-ranging journey is a portrait of an ethnic American community touched by the atrocities of war. David, Danny, Charley, Joey, and Manny struggle in individual ways with their ambivalent feelings about war. On the one hand, they have been raised to respect and leave unquestioned the notion of service and duty. On the other, they experience a growing sense of mistrust toward the decisions made for them.