ORDER NOW:
Available in paperback, ebook, and audio formats
Get it on audio:
"This isn't just a memoir of weathering a literal storm. It's a guide to weathering the internal ones - the grief, the fear, the disillusionment - and choosing, again and again, to response with love."
- Barnes & Noble reviewer
"I was with Emma on her incredible journey, feeling her feelings, experiencing her fatigue, her strength, her exhaustion, her love."
- Allison R.
"I recommend this book to anyone and everyone that has not only suffered through a natural disasters, but also any personal trauma."
- Jeff B.
"I'm mesmerized. So good."
- Julie F.
"I can only read a little at a time, because my tears sting my eyes." - Lindsay
"Heartbreakingly beautiful."
- Tina F.
The Deep End of Hope in the Wake of Hurricane Helene
When Hurricane Helene struck Western North Carolina in September 2024, Emma Churchman and her husband Jeff found themselves trapped atop a mountain transformed into a flood zone. For 72 hours, they had no way to tell the outside world if they were alive or dead.
After bushwhacking three miles down their mountain, they discovered the true devastation in Gerton, their rural community of 301 people. Within days, lawlessness emerged and life became like the Wild West.
As Emma stepped into the role of trauma chaplain, offering solace to people who hadn't yet realized they were traumatized, she faced her own devastating loss – the death of her fourth immediate family member to suicide. While processing multiple traumas, she continued serving others alongside her husband Jeff, who became vital in communications and securing supplies, technology.
Together with their neighbors – Erik, a firefighter, and Kate, a botanist and sawyer – they witnessed their community split into distinct camps: Evacuees, Helpers, Donors, Preppers, Looters, and Homesteaders.
Through forty days and forty nights, this powerful memoir chronicles how a community stripped of power, cell service, and internet created their own solutions. It's a sometimes funny, often heartwarming testament to what's possible when people have no choice but to come together, transcending social, political, economic, religious, and geological differences to find their way from fear to fierce Love.
Want to help with long-term recovery and donations for Hurricane Helene recovery?
Please share your review of this book on Amazon. Your review helps spread the word about this book, which in turn raises money for our area.
"The Days of being able to spend a decade on a therapist's couch exploring your feelings are over. We must learn how to process as we go."
Endorsements
Book Themes
Download the Book Club Guide to The Deep End of Hope
Just tell us where to send it!
What Readers Say
ORDER NOW:
I'm SO grateful I read this book!" - Debby J.
"Highly recommend this to be read by anyone who has survived a natural disaster or by those who are struggling to understand why months later we, who lived through this cataclysmic event, still say we are not okay." - Maggie B.
"So much more than an historical testament with well written details of a play-by-play of some of the most heroic rescues. You feel yourself drawn right into the moment." - JP
"I feel like I know Emma through this book. I have ugly cried, laughed and prayed through it." - Dee V.
"Emma bravely shares her intimate experience and the stories of her community in a way that brings home what it's like to live within disaster, and hopefully prepares others to build resilience and work through their own struggles. Her perspective is truly unique." - Amy L.
About
Emma Churchman
Emma M. Churchman, MDiv is a nationally certified trauma chaplain and executive mentor who has spent over 25 years guiding individuals and organizations through the unspoken aftermath of trauma. With a rare blend of spiritual insight and strategic leadership, she has helped thousands transform pain into power—drawing deeply from her own harrowing journey through acute childhood adversity.
Emma is the founder of the Trauma Recovery Certification program, a groundbreaking training for professionals who want to address trauma at its roots—not just manage symptoms. Her teachings blend clinical understanding with soul-deep wisdom, making her a sought-after speaker for those ready to engage in real, raw healing.
Her bestselling book, The Deep End of Hope in the Wake of Hurricane Helene (GracePoint, 2025), takes readers on an unforgettable journey of spiritual resilience during one of nature’s most recent catastrophic events.
Her forthcoming memoir, Unshattered: Surviving My Mother’s 123 Personalities and Transforming a Legacy of Abuse (GracePoint, October 2025), is a bold invitation to rewrite the stories we inherit.
Her third book, Navigating the Deep End: Resilient Leadership in a Volatile World, explores navigating leadership in crisis (GracePoint, June 2026).
Whether she’s speaking to Fortune 1,000 leaders, faith communities, or trauma survivors, Emma teaches practical, evidence-informed trauma recovery techniques that empower individuals and organizations alike to reclaim agency, reconnect with their core selves, and navigate life’s storms with integrity. As a PhD candidate in Conscious Business Ethics, she bridges the gap between soulful leadership and actionable strategy.
Emma is the founder of the Trauma Recovery Certification program, a groundbreaking training for professionals who want to address trauma at its roots—not just manage symptoms. Her teachings blend clinical understanding with soul-deep wisdom, making her a sought-after speaker for those ready to engage in real, raw healing.
Her bestselling book, The Deep End of Hope in the Wake of Hurricane Helene (GracePoint, 2025), takes readers on an unforgettable journey of spiritual resilience during one of nature’s most recent catastrophic events.
Her forthcoming memoir, Unshattered: Surviving My Mother’s 123 Personalities and Transforming a Legacy of Abuse (GracePoint, October 2025), is a bold invitation to rewrite the stories we inherit.
Her third book, The Deep End: Resilient Leadership in a Volatile World, explores navigating leadership in crisis (GracePoint, June 2026).
To inquire about Emma speaking to your community, organization, corporation, or at an event, email: speaking@emmachurchman.com or book a 15 minute call to discuss with Emma:
JOIN the LETTERS from RESILIENCE Newsletter
to learn about cultivating resilience and trauma recovery:
