The Toadstool Bookshops of Keene, Milford, and Peterborough, NH

For eight hours on an August Sunday, Tropical Storm Irene created a flash flood of Biblical proportions, sweeping away houses, bridges, highways, cars and shops across three states. Historic covered bridges that had stood for a century and a half were washed away in the torrent of water. Communities became isolated islands when bridges fell and the only way to get in or out was by helicopter. National Guard Humvees patrolled once quiet streets.

Writers, bloggers and photographers from throughout the storm-damaged regions of Vermont, the Catskills and the Berkshires share their stories and photographs in this new offering from Surry Cottage Books. It tells the stories of hundreds of survivors during the flood of a lifetime.

The book is full of stories about resilient neighbors helping each other to clean the mud from their homes, rebuild and offer shelter to the suddenly homeless in communities from the Catskills to the Green Mountains.

Using photographs, essays and old-fashioned New England storytelling, the survivors of the disaster share with readers what it was like to endure the storm of a lifetime, creating an historical document that will be treasured and passed on to their descendants.

Stop by and see Craig Brandon and discuss his book Good Night Irene and the storm with him on Saturday, August 25th at 2pm!