A coming of age - a coming together - a coming of tragedy . . . And all they cared about was the music. 1990 - Key West - Late one night, the "Journal of Johnny Cipp" is found water-soaked on a lonely beach, more than two decades and a thousand miles removed from its author's last known location. Its pages tell his heart-wrenching tale, as the first entry reads, "They are all dead - and I have never before told our story."
1967 - Southeast Queens is in turmoil. Amid the escalating chaos, five young men form a band as their only hope of escaping the violence, poverty, and drugs surrounding them. Johnny, the driving force behind the group, wants to lead them to fame and fortune. Instead, he takes them down a path where one misstep can result in destruction.
As the band bonds both musically and personally, they come to realize what success means to each of them. To one, it will be a release from the abusive beatings of his father. For another, it will be a chance to be with the girl of his dreams. A third member's goal is a secret, known only to him. For all of them, their music holds the promise of a brighter future. With each motivated to escape their present situation, they push toward establishing themselves as a professional band. On the night of their greatest achievement, their world comes crashing down.
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Band in the Wind takes place during the mounting racial tensions of the decade, in a time when New York City's identity is under transformation. Steeped in 1960s rock and roll atmosphere, and outfitted with a killer soundtrack, this novel will be perfect for fans of A Bronx Tale, Not Fade Away, Stand by Me ("The Body"), The Commitments, and Eddie and the Cruisers.