Juan and John
A Novel

COMING LATE FALL 2026!

Juan and John is a story of regrets, delayed second chances, hope, personal transformation and the quest to find purpose in life. The book is a heart-warming, dual-timeline, reflective narrative that blends the teen perspective with the emotional and psychological wisdom of a man in midlife, weaving together a coming-of-age story with later midlife reflections that traverse both stages of life with resonance and compassion.

At the outset, the reader meets Juan, an eighteen-year-old boy from Colombia, as he starts his summer after high school graduation in the U.S. He navigates his faltering relationship with his girlfriend, dreams of professional and financial success, the stress of leaving the comfort of home for life at the university, and reconstituting his tennis form. His chance meeting with John, a man in his mid-50s, and the friendship that builds over their summer at the tennis courts, shapes Juan’s view of life in ways that only become clear decades later. 

Interwoven in the story of Juan’s summer is Juan in midlife during a single walk as he anticipates a return visit to his hometown. He reflects on his divorce, the death of his college-age daughter, and his relentless pursuit of wealth over happiness. Accompanied by his canine companion, Floppy, Juan reflects on how life has turned out, the summer he met John, and how the wisdom John shared 40 years earlier is the key to reclaiming his life. 

Juan comes to understand that life gives us what we need, that the Universe just is, that teachers come in all shapes and forms, including on four legs and with fur, and that as it is in tennis, so it is in life.