New Historical Fiction Novel by G. Todd Smith – Josie: A True Story of Race, Rescue, and Resilience

It is the Mississippi Story No One Has Told

NASHVILLE, TN, UNITED STATES, September 28, 2026 /EINPresswire.com/ -- A powerful historical fiction novel set in the Jim Crow South, exploring one woman’s remarkable courage amid racial injustice and hardship has been released.

Rooted in true events, Josie: A True Story of Race, Rescue, and Resilience is an unforgettable work of historical fiction inspired by the extraordinary true story of Josie Evans, a Black child whose life was forever changed by an act of compassion in the heart of the Jim Crow South. Through meticulous historical research and vividly imagined scenes where history leaves unanswered questions, G. Todd Smith brings to life his moving story of faith, family, compassion, sacrifice, and hope.

“In 1906, a white Mississippi businessman pulled a Black newborn out of a gutter — and what the family built around her, and the love they shared over the next 87 years — is the Mississippi story no one has told,” said G. Todd Smith. “That was my family, and in so many ways, I have known Josie my entire life. For years, I knew there was a story here. But I also knew that telling it would require something more than family memories – history, research and imagination.
And the courage to enter a complicated and painful chapter of the American South and ask what happens when ordinary people make an extraordinary choice: to love beyond the boundaries their culture has drawn around them.”

Smith spent nearly four decades working with words. As a journalist. As a writer. As a communications strategist. As a public relations executive. As a branding consultant. He spent his career helping organizations discover what they stand for — and finding the words to make other people understand why it matters.

But Josie asked Smith to do something different. It asked him to listen. To remember. To research. To imagine in a whole new light. And ultimately, to tell a story that had lived inside his family for generations. In some ways, it is the most personal writing he’s ever done.

Although Josie is deeply rooted in Mississippi, its questions reach far beyond the South.

What does it mean to love when society tells you whom you should fear? What does courage look like when no one is applauding? Can one family quietly challenge the assumptions of an entire culture? What happens when compassion crosses a boundary that society insists should never be crossed? And perhaps most importantly: what do we owe the generations who come after us? Those questions are as relevant today as they were in 1906 – and are at the center of the novel.

Smith officially launched Josie at the Mississippi Book Festival Sept. 26, at the Mississippi State Capitol in Jackson, where he participated in The Past, Rewritten Historical Fiction authors panel.

Josie: A True Story of Race, Rescue, and Resilience
By G. Todd Smith
ISBN: 979-8-9970761-1-5 (hardcover); ISBN 979-8-9970761-2-2 (paperback); 979-8-9970761-0-8 (ebook)
Available on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Apple and other online platforms, as well as bookstores and libraries.

About Josie: A True Story of Race, Rescue, and Resilience

Josie: A True Story of Race, Rescue, and Resilience is an unforgettable work of historical fiction inspired by the extraordinary true story of Josie Evans, a Black child whose life was forever changed by an act of compassion in the heart of the Jim Crow South. Through meticulous historical research and vividly imagined scenes where history leaves unanswered questions, G. Todd Smith brings to life his powerful family story of courage, sacrifice, and hope. Journey into a deeply divided era where one family's decision to love beyond the boundaries of race challenged the prejudices of their time and shaped generations to come. Rich with authentic heartfelt detail and unforgettable characters, Josie transports readers through the changing landscape of the American South—revealing the quiet heroism that often goes unnoticed but never loses its power.

Perfect for readers of inspiring historical fiction and true stories of resilience, this moving novel reminds us that even in humanity's darkest hours, compassion can triumph over hatred, grace can overcome injustice, and ordinary people can change history. Now available on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Apple and other online platforms. Josie is published by Leaders Brands, and is distributed through IngramSpark publishers.

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