It happened so very quickly, yet, the memories of this event have lingered for decades. For those who were there, the event plays over-and-over in their mind, sometimes in slow-motion where they can still see each freeze-frame moment just as it occurred. For loved ones who were not there, their vision of what occurred plays over-and over, haunting their dreams both day and night. The date was Sunday, June 26, 1977. It was a hot 90 degrees and most of the residents of the small town of Columbia, TN were taking part in church functions, spending the day with family, hanging out at the pool, or taking a pleasant afternoon nap. Little did anyone know that our town was mere moments from an epic disaster. A disaster that would leave its weighty mark on every member of this community, for years to come. The worst jail fire in the history of Tennessee, both then and now.

A tragic family history swept under the carpet and hidden in the floorboards of history! A vicious family history of sexual violence, deceit, adultery, blackmail, mystery and murder uncovered by the tortured mind of a child left to live in the poverty of the infamous Tin Can Holler.

NATIONAL BEST SELLER • The basis for the HBO documentary now streaming on HBO Max For five years, James and Deborah Fallows have travelled across America in a single-engine prop airplane. Visiting dozens of towns, the America they saw is acutely conscious of its problems—from economic dislocation to the opioid scourge—but it is also crafting solutions, with a practical-minded determination at dramatic odds with the bitter paralysis of national politics. At times of dysfunction on a national level, reform possibilities have often arisen from the local level. The Fallowses describe America in the middle of one of these creative waves. Their view of the country is as complex and contradictory as America itself, but it also reflects the energy, the generosity and compassion, the dreams, and the determination of many who are in the midst of making things better. Our Towns is the story of their journey—and an account of a country busy remaking itself.

One sweltering afternoon Mary Reed is violently stabbed to death at her dinner table, in front of her toddler. The ruthless small town of Bartwell is shocked and bound together by this tragedy. When a murderer is not found the town turns on each other and gossip controls. A small town sheriffs journey though overwhelming odds to find the truth and find the killer almost cost him his life. His honor and integrity is constantly tested by a heartless town that takes control of the moment. The town plans to make money by sensationalizing the brutal murder. Suspense and terror takes control when the plot takes a surprising twist. Danger and unpredictable events keeps the reader spellbound.

This book analyses the global (media) cultural phenomenon of school shootings in the context of mediatization in contemporary social and cultural life. It explores shootings from different, interconnected perspectives with a focus on the theoretical aspect, the practices of mediatization and an examination of the audiences, victims and witnesses.

A New York Times Bestseller Winner of the Chicago Tribune Heartland Prize Winner of the Hillman Prize for Book Journalism Named a best book of the year by: the Los Angeles Times the San Francisco Chronicle the Saint Louis Post-Dispatch the Chicago Tribune the Seattle Times "A stunning look at a problem that has dire consequences for our country.”-New York Post The dramatic story of Methamphetamine as it comes to the American Heartland-a timely, moving, account of one community's attempt to confront the epidemic and see their way to a brighter future. Crystal methamphetamine is widely considered to be the most dangerous drug in the world, and nowhere is that more true than in the small towns of the American heartland. Methland is the story of the drug as it infiltrates the community of Oelwein, Iowa (pop. 6,159), a once-thriving farming and railroad community. Tracing the connections between the lives touched by meth and the global forces that have set the stage for the epidemic, Methland offers a vital and unique perspective on a pressing contemporary tragedy. Oelwein, Iowa is like thousand of other small towns across the county. It has been left in the dust by the consolidation of the agricultural industry, a depressed local economy and an out-migration of people. If this wasn't enough to deal with, an incredibly cheap, long-lasting, and highly addictive drug has come to town, touching virtually everyone's lives. Journalist Nick Reding reported this story over a period of four years, and he brings us into the heart of the town through an ensemble cast of intimately drawn characters, including: Clay Hallburg, the town doctor, who fights meth even as he struggles with his own alcoholism; Nathan Lein, the town prosecutor, whose case load is filled almost exclusively with meth-related crime, and Jeff Rohrick, who is still trying to kick a meth habit after four years. Methland is a portrait of a community under siege, of the lives the drug has devastated, and of the heroes who continue to fight the war. It will appeal to readers of David Sheff's bestselling Beautiful Boy, and serve as inspiration for those who believe in the power of everyday people to change their world for the better.