STREAMLINED WALLET: Slim Card Case for Up to 16 Cards

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In "Coming Home: A Stranger in The Smokies," journalist John Christensen delves into the lives of the resilient people in a Smoky Mountains town, while covering the manhunt for terrorist Eric Rudolph. Initially assigned to report on the search, Christensen becomes captivated by the town's residents and their determination to overcome economic hardship.

Over the course of eighteen months, Christensen visits with a diverse cast of characters, including a soulful country singer, a former New Yorker, a "hick" from Ohio, the scion of the leading family, and a shotgun-toting hermit. Through coffee and meals, in their homes and businesses, and even at a secret hideaway, he witnesses the community's kindness, generosity, humor, and hope, as well as their ability to forgive and find renewal amidst scandal and loss.

However, Christensen's own fortunes take an unexpected turn when he loses his job during a corporate layoff. Facing the challenges of a shrinking industry, the dot-com meltdown, the Great Recession, a pandemic, and another recession, Christensen must confront self-doubt, failure, and depression as he seeks to start over in his 50s, while his peers are retiring.

Years later, when Christensen revisits the Appalachia manuscript, he discovers a story he had not anticipated telling – his own. This revelation could potentially change the course of his life, but it comes with a catch.

"Coming Home: A Stranger in The Smokies" is an upbeat and uplifting narrative that offers a message of hope for those who refuse to give up, even in the face of adversity. Christensen's journey as both a chronicler and a protagonist showcases the resilience of the human spirit and the power of connecting with a community that embraces kindness, humor, and resilience in the face of hardship.

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