In this dystopian novel about American civil war and political collapse, Stan and Lexi Jenkins never thought they would be first hand witnesses to the breakdown of American society. Not only will the chaos threaten their very safety, but their most closely held belief that their family must STAY TOGETHER. They thought at worst, the rising inflation, energy crisis and supply shortage would stretch their family budget. They had no idea they would be at the center of a devolving national insurgency and rebellion that would stretch the federal government's ability to maintain control. The United States is entrenched in global wars, as NATO and Taiwan have been invaded. However, the crisis and rising insurgency forces the United States to redeploy resources to the homeland as well as initiate a draft, resulting in further political unrest. Additionally, a popular movement has surfaced nationwide pushing to deconstruct the federal government and give power back to the individual states and local governments.The Jenkins family resides in the suburbs of Charlotte, North Carolina which has been devastated by the global crisis and has had to endure rising crime, social unrest and dwindling resources. A local militia gains popularity and support throughout the state, resulting in conflict with the federal government. The family will have to work together to build skills and become self-sufficient along with their local community in order to survive as allegiances are tested both inside and outside the family.Stay Together Part I: Before The War is an introduction to a riveting series of one typical, American, suburban family's struggle to adapt to a world they would have never imagined. When we first meet Stan and Lexi along with their children Archer, Maverick, Reese, Blaze, and Leo, they are in denial that the changes they are facing will amount to anything. As they experience the destabilizing forces within their community, they must learn to adapt and challenge themselves to survive. They would have never guessed that a brutal civil war was on the horizon and would threaten to tear their family apart. For fans of political rebellion fiction, this is a powerful mix of family drama, post-apocalyptic survival fiction, and government breakdown. For fans of books like Parable of the Sower or The Grapes of Wrath. Told in a gripping dual timeline-a 17-day countdown to war and a year-and-a-half backstory-this dystopian saga alternates like American History X.