Don Barnhart

Jacks and the Jills Don Barnhart

Author, Don Barnhart was born and raised in the San Fernando Valley where this novel takes place, so he knows the subject well. During the late 1950?s, smack dab in the golden age of Rock ?n Roll, and way before the current flux of modern day gangs, there were an abundance of car clubs. No club was more respected and feared than a Southern California group known as the Jacks, in which, for a short period of time, Mr. Barnhart was a member. This, his third novel, is a compelling story of the Jacks and their Jills, a funny, balls-out, coming of age yarn punctuated by hot rods and the music that underscored that special time. The narrative follows Ron, Delores and Taylor through their personal struggles of growing up, their sexual exploration and the tragic death of a friend, while attempting to understand the true meaning of their own separate lives. Their tumultuous relationships are woven in and around the escapades of the notorious club, as the Jacks gamely hold on to their reputation and remain top dog in the community of souped-up cars, wild parties and domineering strength. It?s a story that feeds the nostalgia in all of us and lets the reader rediscover the innocence?s of how it was in those days that led up to these current chaotic times.