St. James Park will be published by Koehler Books in August 2025 and is the first novel of a planned triptych about dreams conjured and crimes committed throughout the history of what is now known as the heart of Silicon Valley. It will depict San Jose in varying stages of its development from its orchard-based economy to one centered on advanced technology. The novels will feature some of the same locations. Each of the novels’ fictional characters will be different as they inhabit their own set of historical circumstances. What will remain is a pattern of re-occurring themes of upward mobility, social injustice, ethnic rivalry and violence.
St. James Park is set during the onset of Great Depression in a seemingly bucolic San Jose, California until a kidnapping reveals the seamy side of the town’s underbelly by displaying its corruption and mob violence.
A second novel entitled Escape If You Can will continue the story of San Jose into the late 1960s when the orchards were decimated, the downtown a wreck amidst a rising Silicon Valley. The pivotal event occurs when Nixon visited San Jose and created a riot.
An envisioned third novel, What You Cannot Build, will focus on the social impact of recent downtown redevelopment, its attempt to regain a sense of civic identity.
Way to go John. Looking forward to reading the published first book, and whole trilogy eventually. What a great project! Great description and photos!