The Road to Delano
Format:Hardback
Publisher:Rare Bird Books
Published:23rd Apr '20
Should be back in stock very soon

With a foreword by Cesar Chavez's spokesman and speechwriter Marc Grossman
A high school senior, Jack Duncan dreams of playing college baseball and leaving the political turmoil of the agricultural town Delano behind. Ever since his father, a grape grower, died ten years earlier, he’s suspected that his mother has been hiding the truth from him about the suspicious circumstances surrounding the death.
With his family’s property on the verge of a tax sale, Jack drives an old combine into town to sell it. On the road, an old friend of his father shows up with evidence that Jack’s father was murdered. Armed with this new information, Jack embarks on a mission to discover the entire truth, not just about his father but the corruption endemic in the Central Valley.
When Jack’s girlfriend warns him not to do anything to jeopardize their post graduation plans and refuses to help him, Jack turns to his best friend, Adrian, the son of a boycotting fieldworker who works closely with Cesar Chavez. The boys’ dangerous plan to rescue the Duncan family farm leaves Adrian in a catastrophic situation, and Jack must step up to the plate and rescue his family and his friend before he can make his escape from Delano.
The Road to Delano is the path Jack and Adrian must take to find their strength, their duty, their destiny.
"Devastating and triumphant, The Road to Delano is a meticulous historical novel that honors the bravery and sacrifices of those who stand up to injustice, even at great peril to their own well being."
—Foreword Reviews
"An original and deftly crafted novel that showcases author John DeSimone's impressive flair for originality and the kind of narrative storytelling style that keeps the reader's total attention from cover to cover."
—Midwest Book Review
"The Road to Delano is a worthwhile read on a couple of levels: it’s a wonderful visit to John Steinbeck’s California and a valuable history lesson we may have missed in high school when were we not paying attention—or never taught at all."
—BookTrib
"I truly enjoyed this fictional journey through labor history and the development of a young man's conscience. Recommended."
—Book Sirens
"This whole story is an absolute triumph!"
—Thehauntedfae Book Blog
"...a fast-paced thriller with a social conscience."
—Online Book Club
"The Road to Delano is a compelling story that will leave readers thinking about its surprise ending long after the final confrontation comes to a head."—
California Bookwatch
"Five Stars. Outstanding writing, fast-paced. A must-read for people who love history AND baseball."
—ReedsyDiscovery
ISBN: 9781644280317
Dimensions: unknown
Weight: unknown
320 pages