'Forgotten Hurricane' recounts experiences

Joyce King

Joyce King, author of "Forgotten Hurricane," will be in Jasper Thursday, Dec. 7, from 5:30-7 p.m. to sign copies of her book at the fire hall across from the Jasper Public Library on Water Street.

Her latest book is the third in a series about East Texas.

Her first book was "Hate Crime: the story of a dragging death in Jasper" followed by "Growing Up Southern."

King is an award-winning journalist whose guest columns, stories and articles have appeared in many publications, according to her book jacket.

In the "Forgotten Hurricane," she chose to explore how Hurricane Rita affected the Gulf Coast by interviewing individuals who experienced it.

In Chapter 13, she quotes Cheryl English, " We bought land and started building ourselves, the house was actually our dream home."

King goes on to say, "Nightmare Rita split open the new brick beauty and shattered a devoted husbandwife team who designed, poured heart and soul into and constructed side by side home and hearth."

English states in the book, "I had never lived in a new home, brand new, according to my specifications, my colors." They moved in in February 2005, and had less than a year to enjoy the fruits of their labors.

King never strays far from her theme. She acknowledges the terrible devastation of Hurricane Katrina, but always as counterpoint to what happened after Hurricane Rita.

People from Jasper who stayed through the storm and those who rebuilt after will want to compare their stories to those in the book, and send copies to friends in far away places who say, "Oh, you had a hurricane too?"