My Friend Jack

About the Book

Three disparate young men from different countries and backgrounds are fated to meet far from their homes. Trying circumstances draw them together in Australia and then Korea. Their paths mingle in a story that spans half the world in the latter half of the last century. The women in their lives are as different as the backgrounds from which the three men come.

About the Author

John Cooper was born in Johannesburg, South Africa and attended school at St. Stithians College before going on to Rhodes University. He was doing a Bachelor of Arts degree when the travel bug struck. A boat trip to Australia started a five year sojourn that took in much of this wonderful country. To finance the trip he took on jobs such as a clerk, a linesman, a cleaner, a fruit picker, a station hand and even a teacher. He returned to South Africa and Rhodes University to finish his education and spent the next few years teaching and exploring further afield in Southern Africa. After a stint in Europe, he returned to Australia. Marriage, four children and steady teaching jobs around New South Wales took up the next two decades. Then an empty nest allowed further travels. Europe called but he settled to teaching in Japan and Singapore. Then he returned to the beautiful Blue Mountains west of Sydney, where he lives in wonderfully wooded Woodford. Recently retired, he has dabbled in travel, squash, poker, gardening and now authoring.