A RIVER RUNS THROUGH IT: The Story of Hurricane Helene, Chimney Rock, NC, 2024($18.70Value)

Description

On the morning of Friday, September 27, 2024, the Rocky Broad River was made massive by four days of rain and the force of Hurricane Helene. It plowed through North Carolina’s Chimney Rock Village and ruthlessly tore away most of downtown, a swath of houses, and a woman from her home. This is the story of the effect this historic storm had on its victims and the heartfelt response from every arm of government, charities, churches, and businesses to get the beloved mountain village of Chimney Rock back on its feet in the breathtaking span of one year. The account of the storm was harrowing; the chronicle of its aftermath, inspirational. A host of fully formed, multi-dimensional real characters, whose personal stories conveyed the weight of what was at stake, detailed the myriad of financial, logistical and emotional challenges that the village and its champions struggled to overcome... masterfully woven together with a quasi-fictional story arc to provide a narrative thread throughout. Required reading for anyone who loves Chimney Rock and its surroundings. I'm sure it will serve as a valuable addition to the region's rich history, teaching generations to come about Helene's brutal destruction and the indomitable power of the human spirit on display there. --Glenn Smith, Deputy Managing Editor for Investigations, THE POST AND COURIER, Charleston, SC Rose Senehi, originally from Michigan, attend Syracuse University and started her writing career after years in the shopping center industry before going south to manage Broadway at the Beach in Myrtle Beach, SC. She has been living in Chimney Rock, NC, since 2008 and has become an award-winning author of eleven novels, eight of which are historical fiction that take place in Western North Carolina.