We were in our hotel room the other day in Nashville watching TV. Normally we do not have TV so this was one of those rare instances that we did. There happened to be a show on about a brother and sister who both survived having both been shot twice in the back as well as their parents. Both their parent's died next to them. At one point my boyfriend asked if we should change the channel and I said no as it was getting interesting. Near the end of the show they explained that the brother, Brooks Douglass became a Senator (one of the youngest) from Oklahoma. It suddenly dawned on me that I knew this story and it brought me back to a few months ago when we were in Venice Beach, California. We were sitting in Starbucks and the woman next to me began talking with me. Her name was Rosie and we immediately connected. She was from Brazil and had just recently finished co producing a movie with a good friend of hers. The movie was based on the true story of that friend. She began showing pictures to me of the set that she had taken of the some of the actors. The name of the movie was Heaven's Rain and her friend's name was Brooks Douglass. It brings to light the incredible obstacles and horrors some people have faced in life and their amazing ability to not let it stop them from living, but push them to do more. We were suppose to meet up with Rosie in Orlando but it never worked out. Hopefully next time. I've added a link to the website for Heaven's Rain.
http://heavensrainmovie.com/story.php
That night I went to get my book, "Charlotte's Story" to read and realized I had left it in the other hotel under my pillow. We were under threat of tornadoes and for some reason I felt the book was safer there and that if I had to run down to the basement I would be able to save it. This book was also signed by Charlotte and included her Post Office box address in Islamorada. If you have not read this book and you know anything about the Keys or want to, it is a must read. The following is a review I found on Amazon that summarizes the story:
"Charlotte's Story, written by Charlotte Arpis Niedhauk, edited by Mary-Alice Herbert, and published by Laurel and Herbert, is a fascinating page turner as well as an important historical document of how a young couple managed to exist alone on an isolated Florida Key (Elliott Key) in 1934-5. Their survival reminds one of the manner in which people lived before the advent of electricity, supermarkets, running water, or any of the modern conveniences. Their "store" was the beach, where they would look for and find what they needed from raw materials cast forth by the ocean. Charlotte's resourceful husband Russ would make such objects as a dipper from a coconut shell with a handle carved from a Madeira limb, a windproof ashtray from the bottom of a shell, fish and lobster traps, kitchen cabinets, and even a jewelry box from a coconut for Charlotte from their "lumber store," the beach. City-bred Charlotte learned to cope with mosquitoes, sand flies, and scorpions, and even how to scull a boat. Their island home was visited by a potpourri of strange, often frightening characters, who threatened their lives and made off with their property. No one who reads the book will ever forget the couple's experience in the terrible hurricane of Sept. 3, 1935. According to a newspaper report, the barometric pressure was the lowest ever recorded in the history of world weather. Excerpts are given from Russ's diary, i.e."Violent wind squalls lasting from 20 to 25 minutes. Sometimes with wind bursts to 70 or 80 miles per hour....Charlotte is sitting on the floor in the open doorway. She saw the tide recede 50 feet before each squall, and then return with a rush. Each time a little higher. No waves visible. The wind has blown the tops off. Afraid for our boat at high tide...The roof of the old house is blowing off in chunks. I can't stop it." After the hurricane was over, the couple decided that being alone on an island had lost its attraction for them, and decided it was time to return to the homeland. At the beginning of their sojourn on Elliott Key, Charlotte seems a naive, somewhat helpless young female. It was a delight to see her grow into a resourceful, independent woman who was an equal partner to her husband. She wrote her story from notes and memorabilia almost a quarter of a century after they left Elliott Key. The first edition of Charlotte's Story was published in different form by Exposition Press in 1973. When the book went out of print, the clamor for it was so great that Laurel and Herbert republished and reedited it in 1998. This is a book for everyone, Florida Keys residents, tourists, feminists and macho men alike; in other words for simply everyone who loves a good read."
The reason I value this book so much is because my family all knew Russ. (Charlotte had already passed) My brother and I spent alot of time helping Russ and my mom bought an old 75 ft yacht from him that we lived on for some time. I spoke with my brother the other day and he asked me, "Did you get the book from the Islamorada Library?" I did. He then reminded me of one time when we were helping Russ that he had a box of books he was donating to the Islamorada Library and one of them was............ that is correct, "Charlotte's Story". I finally was able to get ahold of the hotel. They have the book and are holding it for me. If you would like to check out the book from the Islamorada Library you will not be able to because I am keeping it. (My brother's idea.) After I am done reading it, I'm sending it to my brother to read and we have decided to keep it in the family. You can order it through Amazon.
As of right now we are back in Key West for the week before we head back to Nashville. Today I am feeling terrible with a fever and ear infection like an infant. It took everything I had just to cross the street to Starbucks and get a coconut mocha frappuccino. Ahhh, but so worth it's awesome happiness it has given me and the way it made swallowing more ibuprofen enjoyable. :-)
