In the town of Buczacz, Poland, nine-year-old Maxwell’s life is turned upside-down when the Soviets invade in 1939. His family eventually adapts, but nothing can prepare them for the Nazi invasion two years later. Soon Maxwell is alone in the woods, hiding from the roving groups of Ukrainians and Nazis searching for Jews, while depending on the few people he can trust. In the bitter journey of Chaos to Canvas, Maxwell transforms from a boy dependent on his family to a teenager fighting to survive and, ultimately, to a man who finds himself through art in a life beyond the war.