Emerson Hemingway Dove has a major problem. He can not coo and other doves mock him. He wonders if it best to runaway from home. DOVE STORY is for anyone who has felt that they didn't fit in the world, longed for a friend and hoped for inner peace. DOVE STORY, written by Jerry Ellis was the first person in the modern world to walk the 900 mile route of the Cherokee Trail of Tears, where he slept mostly in woods and meadows along the way. During the two month hike, he often sought the coos of doves, the bird in Cherokee cosmology that is sent from the Spirit World to assure a listener that he is not alone in the world. His book resulting from the life-altering trek, Walking the Trail, One Man's Journey Along the Cherokee Trail of Tears, was published by Random House, nominating the book for a Pulitzer Prize and a National Book Award. He walked the Trail to honor the Cherokee and to raise awareness about their plight. His goal was achieved and even brought unexpected blessings: Speaking at a publishing conference in Denver, he met Debi Holmes-Binney and it was love at first sight, leading to the friendship of his life, Debi becoming his wife now of twenty-eight years. Since that meeting in Denver, they have traveled the globe and lived seasonally in Rome, Italy for fifteen years. Debi, who illustrated DOVE STORY, was a featured guest author on The Oprah Winfrey Show with her book, Desert Sojourn, A Woman's Forty Days and Nights Alone. Following this TV appearance, Debi's book soared to the top five books sold through Amazon that week. Jerry and Debi dedicate DOVE STORY to all who have ever felt alone, misunderstood, and questioned if they would ever find someone who would unconditionally love them and all their oddities. This is true not only for Artists of all types but for people in all walks of life who feel intensely about the infinite mysteries of being alive, knowing that above all riches the one that matters the most is love. Jerry and Debi are co-founders of Tanager House, their home and retreat center based on sixty wooded acres in the mountains of NE Alabama. Tanager House is dedicated to all artistic endeavors and especially creative writing. Tanager House for over a decade holds an annual all day writing/publishing seminar and more information can be gathered by contacting Jerry via email: [email protected]. DOVE STORY is an ideal gift book because it inspires readers to celebrate their unique traits without denying the very real struggles of marching to one's own drumbeat. Live FREE. Be BOLD!