One of my favorite parts of being editor of the Old Towne Orange Plaza Review is how deeply rooted our publication is in history. We shine a light on the people and stories that shaped our town and continue to give it heart today. Orange has always been a place where the past feels close—where old homes whisper stories, and longtime residents remember what used to stand where.
Maybe that’s why my latest book, Secrets That Remain: The Emil Fricker Story, feels so close to home for me. It’s a story born of history, family, and the small-town connections that make up who we are.
Though I grew up a Navy Brat, living in various parts of the U.S. and overseas, my roots are right here in Southern California. I was born in Garden Grove, and my family has deep ties to Tustin and Orange. After my world travels, I settled in Old Towne Orange in 1987, moving into a historic home I still live in today. Like many of our residents, I fell in love with the character and sense of continuity that make this community so special.
It was that same reverence for the past—and for the people who came before us—that inspired Secrets That Remain, a book my late mother and I wrote together over a span of 26 years. What began as curiosity about a long-guarded family secret grew into a multigenerational journey to uncover the truth.
At the center of that truth was my great-grandfather, Emil Fricker, the last man hanged in Madison County, Illinois, back in 1926. For decades, my mother knew only whispers about what had happened—rumors of a terrible crime, family pain and silence. Her mother and grandmother never spoke of it. But after they passed, my mom decided it was time to bring the story into the light and asked me to help her do so.
So, in 2000, she and I traveled to Highland, Illinois, the small farming town where it all began—its quiet streets not unlike those here in Old Towne. In a library reminiscent of the Orange Public Library of decades past, we pored over old newspapers and court records, piecing together what had truly happened. What we discovered was both heartbreaking and illuminating: a story of murder, betrayal and resilience that had shaped generations.
Secrets That Remain is a historical novel inspired by those real events. The book is a mix of family saga, courtroom drama, and the enduring question of how far love and loyalty can stretch when tested by tragedy. Though the story unfolds a century ago, its themes of truth, forgiveness and legacy feel timeless.
Writing this book with my mother connected me not only to my ancestors but to her—and to the larger idea that our pasts are never as distant as they seem. Just as Orange continues to honor its history while moving forward, Secrets That Remain reminds us that understanding where we come from can illuminate who we are today.
To read the full story and uncover the secrets my family carried for generations, Secrets That Remain: The Emil Fricker Story is available now through all major online booksellers at this link: https://bit.ly/SecretsThatRemain
