John’s books can be purchased at many Vermont bookshops and from most online retailers.
Harmony Hill
In 1941, sixteen-year-old Jubilant Brown is struggling to keep his family’s small dairy farm from going under. He has the help of his determined mother and hard-working uncle who has intellectual disabilities. However, Jubal’s dad is only interested in his next drink and news of World War II building across the sea. Farming in Vermont is a hardscrabble existence requiring muscle and ingenuity, something Jubal is learning as he comes of age. He also faces the ins and outs of love as he navigates friendships with three very different, strong young women. Polly is his pretty and wealthy next-door neighbor. Lizzy comes from a notorious band of outlaws who live on LaFlam Mountain. And Maria is a farm girl who can build a big wagonload of hay or fix farm equipment better than any guy her age. Harmony Hill is an old-fashioned yarn about small-town life. Hayesville will capture your heart with its quirky characters who are much like the neighbors you’ve always known. And when the town is rocked by a terrible tragedy, it reveals the true colors of the townsfolk and their interwoven connections.
Where to buy: VERMONT BOOKSHOPS • INDIEBOUND • BOOKSHOP • BARNES & NOBLE • AMAZON
The West Window
The West Window tells a heartwarming story of survival, change, and friendship. The lives of a sixty-year-old farmer, Harold, and a nineteen-year-old orphan, Shirley, come together in a struggle to find compatibility on a Vermont hill farm. Shirley is eager to move forward with the onrush of new agricultural technology, and Harold is determined to fight change. Shirley is haunted by her violent past involving a kid now grown into a maniacal character who has vowed revenge. She also struggles to free herself of the haunts of rape that resulted in pregnancy. A romance with Joe Iverson, Agricultural Agent, blooms and then fails, leaving her devastated. The author vividly portrays life on a small farm in the spring, summer, and fall of 1948 when Vermont was intensely agricultural. This is a story of two people finding wholeness, healing, and redemption.
Where to buy: VERMONT BOOKSHOPS • AMAZON
The Meadow
The Meadow, set in Huntersville, Vermont is a story of a highly focused teenager, Marcus “Dusty” Murray, who dreams of farming his ancestral meadow someday. The meadow is in high demand for other uses. Dusty flounders in his ties with both friend and foe, testing his wisdom and courage. Chiefly among his nemeses is Orla O’Neil, an eerie clairvoyant who haunts his thoughts, while Maggie, her twin sister, the love of his life, stands in support. The day to day rigors of farm life thread throughout the development of Dusty as he tries to master his challenges.
Where to buy: VERMONT BOOKSHOPS • AMAZON
Cooner’s Bench
Brother and sister Jason and Ruth Murray have been raised on a dairy farm in Huntersville, Vermont. When suddenly struck by a catastrophic event, causing tumultuous change in the summer of 1995, Jason’s interest in nature and farming is thrown off track. Ruth faces a criminal charge, bringing change and upheaval to the family. Cooner Clapton lends calm and counsel while on his bench.
Where to buy: VERMONT BOOKSHOPS • AMAZON
“I very rarely read a book a second time, but this one I will. I can’t remember the last time I have been so touched by a book. It’s accuracy and authenticity are incredible. . . . I don’t know the author, but I sure wish I did!”
—Reader of The West Window
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