The Happy Valley

In this kaleidoscopic voyage through the past, present, and future of the United States, a young girl uncovers a secret society, a middle-aged man searches for his lost first love, a group of teens invent a role-playing game, protests threaten to topple the government, and an eccentric lawyer and his young Vietnamese protégée re-open a dormant case.

This atmospheric tale, at turns gothic, poetic, cerebral, and funny, ranges from rural Upstate New York to the far reaches of the Zebulon Galaxy; from the 1700s to the 4th decade of the 21st century. Includes 66 full-page b&w illustrations by the author, maps, an Appendix with a Timeline, and a Reading Group Guide.

“One of the most intriguing, beguiling, and thought-provoking books I read this year.”

—Diana Spencer, author of Varro’ s Guide to Being Roman

“Fabulous and engaging ... richly creative!”

—Glenda Burgess, award-winning author of So Long As We ’ re Together

In a near-future America, on the eve of revolution, a message pops up on a screen, “Can you help me?”­—then it, and its sender, June, disappear.

June’s disappearance prompts a visit back to the narrator’s rural, Upstate New York hometown, and a reconstruction of their shared past in the early 90s, when he and his group of friends created their own roleplaying adventure in a clubhouse on a dilapidating farm.

It was June’s entry into their group that made all their game-playing real, and embroiled the teens in a great mystery, starting with the strange, serpent-headed key that flashed gold on custodian Clyde Duane’s copious key ring, and spiraled outward—connecting their town’s hidden past to a movement that could change everything about the way we live.

Populated by a fantastic cast of characters, this captivating book stands at the intersection of philosophy and adventure.

© 2023 Serpent Key Press (Audiobook): 9798986744537

Release date

Audiobook: March 16, 2023