Have you ever noticed how a simple photograph can do more than just capture a moment?
The right photograph, placed in the right hands at the right time, can change the world. In their breathtaking new book, Land of Everlasting Hills, Ren and Helen Davis invite us on a magnificent journey into the heart of the Great Smoky Mountains to prove exactly that.
At its core, this isn’t just a coffee-table book filled with pretty pictures, though the more than 200 images inside are nothing short of spectacular. It is a profound story of magical connections and extraordinary stewardship. Back in the 1920s, the lush, rugged peaks of the Smokies were in a race against the chainsaw. Commercial logging threatened to erase a natural masterpiece.
Enter our unlikely heroes: George Masa, a Japanese immigrant living in Asheville, North Carolina, and Jim Thompson, a commercial photographer from Knoxville, Tennessee.
Masa and Thompson prophetically anticipated the needs and hopes of future generations. Armed with heavy cameras and an unyielding passion, they trekked into the wilderness. They didn’t just take pictures; they crafted a visual plea. Their stunning photographs became the ultimate presentation to politicians and business leaders, helping to establish the Great Smoky Mountains National Park and blaze the nascent Appalachian Trail down into North Georgia.
Ren and Helen Davis tell this story with the warmth and precision of a master innkeeper welcoming you by the fire. They weave the biographies of these two vastly different men into a seamless tapestry of courage and collaboration.
While Thompson lived to see their dream realized, Masa tragically passed away in 1933 and was buried in a pauper’s grave.
Yet their shared legacy towers as high as the peaks they loved.
Land of Everlasting Hills is a gorgeous reminder that true community service is about leaving the campground better than you found it. It’s a five-star example of how vision, coupled with a little grit, can preserve the magic of our world for lifetimes to come. Grab a copy, pull up a comfortable chair, and prepare to be deeply inspired.
Ren and Helen Davis will be the Georgia Writers Museum Meet-the-Author presenters on May 5th at 7 p.m. (doors open at 6:30 p.m.).
Tickets are $45 each ($40 each for two or more) and include a gourmet meal crafted by Chef Brent.
Contact Georgia Writers Museum (georgiawritersmuseum.org) to register and pre-order your copy of Land of Everlasting Hills.