The World Played Chess was written by Robert Dugoni and published by Lake Union Publishing in 2021. You can purchase it on Amazon/Kindle and you can visit the author on Amazon and on social media.
This novel teaches us about war, about our humanity, our destiny, and the heroes and atrocities that we leave behind.
Vincent Bianco, a recent high school graduate, finds a summer job working as a laborer on a construction crew. 1979 brought with it raw and horror filled stories and memories of the Viet Nam War and many of the wounds of veterans who served, were still festering and causing much emotional pain and suffering. Vincent worked with and developed a very close relationship with one of two of his co-workers who served in Viet Nam. William shared some of his stories with Vincent but much more was revealed about his time in Viet Nam via a diary, which William gave to Vincent to read. The stories within would change Vincent's life and forty years later, much of the lessons learned within that diary, would impact his relationship with his own son, as he heads off to college.
Robert Dugoni has an ability to tell a story in a very unique and interesting way and his style has captured me- as he did when I read Sam Hell. This novel teaches us about war, but more importantly it teaches us about our humanity and how we move forward, while not forgetting the heroes and the atrocities that we leave behind. William's diary is riveting and I could feel how those stories shaped Vincent's mind. It reminded me of how important it is to acknowledge our veterans and to always help them in whatever way we can, so they can find meaning and purpose in their lives. We owe it to them. This novel is a must read for anyone who wants to learn and maybe to understand what happened in Viet Nam.
I give The World Played Chess 5 out of 5 stars.
Robert Dugoni is a scheduled guest on The Writers Lounge Blog Talk Radio Show #109 on February 21, 2022