A California Love Story
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Product Details
Publisher: Pacific Dream Publications
Release Date: May 23, 2023
Formats: Hardcover, Paperback, Ebook
ISBN: HC: 979-8-9878493-2-3; PB: 979-8-9878493-0-9; EB: 979-8-9878493-1-6
Trim: 6 x 9
Page Count: 284
John W. Thill
“This treasury will instantly win over readers of romance novels with its outspoken candor and swooning sentiments. A captivating, immensely fond tribute to a true love affair from another place and time.”—Kirkus Reviews
An inspiring true story told through recovered letters—a young couple chronicles their cross-country journey of falling in love and making their dreams come true.
In September 1925, young Ray Wilcox stepped off a train in Southern California. A humble midwestern man, he could hardly believe the remarkable sights before him—the vast Pacific Ocean, the sparkling California beaches, and the stunning coastal mountain ranges.
Ray immediately began to formulate a plan for a successful life in this paradise, but he was missing one thing: his sweetheart, Dora. As he embarked on a campaign of letters to convince her to leave Kansas and join him, a love story began to grow. Through their tender and romantic correspondence, the ambitious young couple began to dream about a blissful future together in this gorgeous place called California.
Nearly one hundred years later, John W. Thill discovered a hatbox filled with these forgotten letters from his grandparents’ courtship. Within their worn folds, Thill found a story that was at once timeless and evocative, transporting him to a unique era in American history when the future of California was taking shape. Interwoven with Ray and Dora’s authentic letters, Thill fondly discloses his grandparents’ touching story—from the personal and economic hardships they experienced to the romantic hopes, dreams, and commitments of their young relationship. In A California Love Story, the optimism and perseverance of the past shines through, offering an inspiration for the present day.
“It may be that I will never know what it means to be rich, with money. But real riches of life are not always found in computing the amount of any man’s money. Good friends and neighbors . . . and a clean life count for more than mere dollars. The west is a good place to test out this, because here they measure a man by what he is instead of what he has.” —Letter from Ray to Dora, April 1927.
About the Author
John W. Thill is a learning and development specialist, adult literacy advocate, and tutor serving people in Southern California. His life experience incorporates over forty years of business and community service work. John’s passion and expertise includes assisting people in understanding their strengths to better navigate relationships and lead themselves to places of fulfillment and success. He is a graduate of San Diego State University, a past president of the Rotary Club of Carlsbad, and continues a fifty-year love affair with the Pacific Ocean.
Visit the author’s website at johnwthill.com
Reviews
“This treasury will instantly win over readers of romance novels with its outspoken candor and swooning sentiments. A captivating, immensely fond tribute to a true love affair from another place and time.” —Kirkus Reviews
“Charming, heartfelt, deeply personal but universal in theme, A California Love Story is a compelling read from start to finish and unreservedly recommended for personal, community, and academic library American Biography/Memoir collections.” —James A. Cox, Editor-in-Chief at Midwest Book Review
“No matter what adversity comes our way, we will triumph because we are not alone. For years I have been telling people that the opposite of depression is expression. And when you write the story of your grandparents and parents—not only does it enrich your life but it is something that gives wings of confidence and understanding to your kids and grandkids.” —Victor Villaseñor, acclaimed Mexican-American writer of New York Times bestselling novel Rain of Gold
“John Thill has written and compiled a work that, while regional in its scope, is universal in its message. And a historical gem.” —Robert Yehling, Award-Winning Author of Voices, Crawl of Fame, and Just Add Water
“I was drawn in by both the love story and the historical backdrop. The letters between Ray and Dora are captivating, and after reading the book the feelings they evoked lingered with me. What a read, what a love.” —Kristi Hawthorne, director, Oceanside Historical Society
“John W. Thill and his family discovered a wonderful gift with these early letters and now he shares this gift with us through his beautiful and moving love story that also captures the feel, smells, sights and sounds of early Southern California coastal life and its rich opportunities. It is a rare and enjoyable peek back into the late 1920s through the words, feelings and experiences shared between these young Midwest adults as they set their sights on a life together to live the California dream.” —Paul Braun, Managing Partner JLL Commercial Real Estate