ASHEVILLE, N.C. (828newsNOW) – It was only a matter of time before the events of Hurricane Helene made it to the publishing houses.
“The Deep End of Hope in the Wake of Hurricane Helene,” a new text exploring what it was like for a Western North Carolina local to be on the ground amid the “apocalypse” during and after the storm, as the author describes it, is set to be released this week. The author has invited the community to join her at an intimate book launch celebration in her hometown.
Emma M. Churchman, the author of this Hurricane Helene testimonial, is a Quaker minister, trauma chaplain and business mentor who lives in the village of Gerton halfway between Asheville and Lake Lure on U.S. Route 74.
Churchman expresses her eyewitness testimony from the hurricane’s devastation in a new book titled “The Deep End of Hope in the Wake of Hurricane Helene: 40 Days and Nights of Survival and Transformation.” Printed by GracePoint Publishing, Churchman’s account is one of the first books to be published on the tropical storm that decimated Western North Carolina four months ago.
For 40 consecutive days, Churchman wrote journals on what was happening in her community of Gerton. She posted these entries onto Facebook where they received widespread attention, eventually catching the eye of GracePoint Publishing.
“The media had a radically different narrative than what we had happen here on the ground,” Churchman stated.
In some ways a love letter to the community that supported her, Churchman’s book is split into a chapter per day “Highlighting whatever we were going through each day,” she explained. “Over 50 different people from our community are represented in the book,” she relayed.
“The Deep End of Hope in the Wake of Hurricane Helene” is both a memoir and self-help book including a call-to-action that “We must learn how to process our trauma in real time,” Churchman said, stressing that we do not have time for laying on a therapist’s couch.
“Combining on-the-ground observations, reflections on trauma recovery, and a compassionate narrative, the book captures the human spirit’s resilience in unprecedented adversity,” her publisher expressed in a press release.
The book is being sold as a partial fundraiser for Mennonite Disaster Services, a group that helped Gerton get back on their feet after the storm. Funds raised from book sales will help “repair and replace 5,000 bridges” FEMA asked the organization to assist with, Churchman said.
To celebrate the release of her new book, Churchman has invited the Western North Carolina community to her backdoor at 2 p.m. on Saturday, Feb. 1 at the Gerton Fire Station for a book launch and signing party.
N.C. House Rep. Eric Ager and his father, Former N.C. House Rep. John Ager, are planned to speak along with members of Mennonite Disaster Services and the Women’s Business Enterprise National Council.
Malaprop’s Books, one of Asheville’s premier booksellers, will also be onsite selling Churchman’s book. Those who are not able to attend in person can purchase a copy from the Independent Publishers Group for $25.95.