Georgia author's new novel recaptures stories of deadly '94 flood

STONE MOUNTAIN - Brian Egeston will never forget the images of the 1994 south Georgia flood, which dumped 25 inches of rain in a single day and swept away 34 lives. <br> <br> Now the DeKalb County author has published a novel, ``Granddaddy&#39;s Dirt,&#39;&#39; that he hopes will capture the incredible stories that came out of the worst disaster in Georgia history. <br> <br> ``I got chills just reading the news articles and seeing chronicles of the devastation,&#39;&#39; Egeston said. ``I tried to capture the devastation while at the same time highlighting the miracles that took place.&#39;&#39; <br> <br> The novel is set in Albany. For research, Egeston talked to residents who survived the deadly flood and used federal government records to track Tropical Storm Alberto on its path from the African coast to south Georgia. <br> <br> The result was the story of a grandfather running away from a secret and a grandson searching for the truth. <br> <br> ``At one point in the book, the grandfather says, &#39;I wish something would come and wash all my sins away,&#39; and symbolically what comes is the 1994 south Georgia flood,&#39;&#39; said Egeston, 31. <br> <br> Egeston, who grew up in Little Rock, Ark., said he had never even heard of Albany before he met his wife, Latise, an Atlanta native who visited Albany as a child. <br> <br> He said the book began as a healing tool for her, and as a way to preserve the relationship grandparents have with their grandchildren. <br> <br> ``She had such a difficult time watching her grandfather grow old and become decrepit,&#39;&#39; Egeston said. ``Her grandfather was sort of like her hero, and when she was growing up, they always visited Albany. Albany was a magical place for her.&#39;&#39; <br> <br> ``Granddaddy&#39;s Dirt,&#39;&#39; published by Carter-Krall of Stone Mountain, is Egeston&#39;s second novel. His first was titled ``Whippins, Switches & Peach Cobbler,&#39;&#39; and he is working on a third, with the working title ``Catfish Quesadillas.&#39;&#39; <br> <br> For now, Egeston is busy promoting the ``Grandaddy&#39;s Dirt,&#39;&#39; signing it at local appearances and trying to gain some national attention for the book. <br> <br> ``I really want people to be able to sit back and take a look at what they have received from their ancestors or what they are giving to the future generations,&#39;&#39; he said.