JOSIE
A True Story of Race, Rescue, and Resilience
A powerful historical novel rooted in true events—one woman’s remarkable courage amid racial injustice, faith, family, compassion, and the enduring strength of the human spirit.
A STORY WORTH REMEMBERING
Josie: A True Story of Race, Rescue, and Resilience is a powerful historical novel set in the Jim Crow South, exploring one woman’s remarkable courage amid racial injustice and hardship.
Rooted in true events, Josie is a moving story of faith, family, compassion, and the enduring strength of the human spirit.
But Josie’s story is more than a story of the past.
It is a story about what happens when ordinary people choose courage over fear, compassion over indifference, and love over the forces that seek to divide us.
A story recovered. A life remembered. A voice finally heard.
PRAISE FOR JOSIE
The story is finding its voice — and readers are listening
“Josie is a momentous work that embraces the impact of love in a time and place that did not. Todd Smith possesses that rare gift for transforming family history into near-poetry. Featuring a host of curated, archival photographs that paint a relatable human portrait of this important time in U.S. history, the book is a testament to the power that one person can have against racial and societal tyranny. A must-read, especially now.”
Tamara Nall
CEO & Founder, The Leading Niche
“Todd Smith has spent a lifetime understanding the power of words. In Josie, he demonstrates that the finest storytelling doesn’t shout. It quietly reveals profound truths through memorable people, authentic dialogue, and scenes rich with emotional depth.”
Mark Tapscott
Senior Congressional Analyst, The Washington Stand, Founder and Editor, hillfaith.org ministry on Capitol Hill, Elected to the National Freedom of Information Act Hall of Fame, Conservative Journalist of the Year 2008.
“At its heart, Josie understands the profound importance of home. It left me with a deeper appreciation for the places, traditions, and relationships that give us a lasting sense of belonging.”
Sal Cosenza
Author of Manhattan: The Rising War (Studio Edition)
“Josie is a wonderful book that brings history to life in a way that is easy to see and hard to forget. Todd Smith writes with the careful eye of a journalist, caring heart of a storyteller and soul of a novelist. His words are honest, warm, and full of hope. With rich history and unforgettable characters, Josie reminds us that the courage of one family can inspire many others for years to come. This is a story that will stay with you long after you turn the last page.”
Robert D. Smith
Author of 20,000 Days and Counting
“At its heart, Josie is not a story about race as much as it is a story about radical love. In a world eager to draw lines, Todd Smith reminds us that one family’s compassion can change generations. Beautifully written and deeply moving.”
Will Crossley
Chairman, The Piney Woods School
“Josie offers a moving reflection on what it means to care for others through illness, hardship, and change. Its compassionate portrayal of hospitality left me more attentive to the meaningful ways people support one another.”
Dr. James Wallace
Associate Medical Director, Gibb Medical & Rescue
“With a journalist’s eye and a Southerner’s sense of place, G. Todd Smith reveals a Mississippi story that history nearly lost. Josie carries readers across segregation, war, social change, and natural disaster while honoring the quiet choices that shape generations.”
Mia Moody, Ph.D.
Professor & Former Chair, Baylor University, Journalism, Public Relations & New Media, College of Arts & Sciences, AEJMC President-Elect, 2019 Baylor Newsmaker, 2020-21 Cornelia Marschall Smith Professor of the Year, Graduate Program Director, 2012-2019, Baylor Ethnic Studies & Women and Gender Studies, Affiliate Faculty Member
“Josie tells the compelling story of people consumed by the darkness of their souls and others illuminated by the joy in their hearts. Todd Smith’s prose is descriptive, poignant and entertaining. Josie is a great read.”
Tom Adkinson
Travel Writer and Author of 100 Things To Do In Nashville Before You Die
“At its heart, Josie understands the profound importance of home. It left me with a deeper appreciation for the places, traditions, and relationships that give us a lasting sense of belonging.”
Shawn Johal
Business Growth Coach, Elevation Leaders, and Bestselling Author of The Happy Leader
“The greatest stories are rarely about extraordinary people. They’re about ordinary people who choose extraordinary kindness. Todd Smith has given us exactly that kind of novel – a story filled with quiet heroism, unforgettable characters, and enduring hope.”
Lucius M. “Luke” Lampton, MD
Editor, Journal of the Mississippi State Medical Association