What if the deaths in Jonestown hadn’t happened? What if Jim Jones had been out of the picture in November 1978? What if there hadn’t been a need for a congressman to travel to the jungle community and thereby unwittingly precipitate a tragedy? What if…
That is the premise of my upcoming novel The People v. Pooja Sharma, told from the perspective of its beautiful and passionate – but fictitious – heroine. Pooja Sharma is one of Jim Jones’ lovers in Jonestown, but wants to be the only one, and is jealous when he beds down with others. Provoked to the boiling point by a stint in the Box, she stabs Father to death in October 1978.
Pooja is charged with first degree murder and put on trial for her life in San Francisco. Without the massacre to give her actions any appreciation or even a context, members of the jury must wrestle with the issue of whether Pooja could possibly have been acting in self-defense or whether she deserves the electric chair. Temple followers and family members take the stand, some for the prosecution, some for the defense, with Christine Miller being the star witness for Pooja. The protagonist is fortunate to have an ally in her public defender Milt, as well as the members of the jury, who work tirelessly to figure out what was really going on.
I am currently working on the Epilogue, which lists the accomplishments of the children of Jonestown who—in this alternate universe—became strong and interesting adults. So far, I have the children growing up to follow careers as an astronaut, a reggae drummer, an obstetrician, an Apple exec, a poet laureate, and a flight attendant, and of course, many of them end up having children of their own. I’ve done my best to use actual snippets I can find on the kids and their interests and gifts but if you knew any of these little ones, please feel free to reach out and help me create for them the wonderful lives they deserve.
Thanks to everyone, not only for their support and encouragement, but for their patience with an outsider’s questions.