Peter Hershey

Scourge of a Hurricane Peter Hershey

Athazagoraphobia. Defined: fear of being forgotten, of not having an impact; fear of a vain existence. Noah Hobson was a victim. The first time he suffered from Athazagoraphobia was in West Hamlin, West Virginia, where he helped tear down an antique stone house that was home to four generations of Smithfields-their one, lasting imprint on the world. Noah understands little about his condition until he volunteers to go on a mission trip to Port Sulphur, Louisiana, following the scourge of Hurricane Katrina. Surrounded by devastation, fishing boats in the treetops and empty cement slabs where houses once stood, Noah is nearly undone by his fear of being forgotten. An abandoned church, a volunteer nurse, a mysterious voice, a damaged mailbox, and a stranger who shares his name culminate in a journey that forces Noah to reckon with Athazagoraphobia.