More than two decades after Hurricane Katrina devastated the Mississippi Gulf Coast, longtime publisher, radio host, and Coast native Ricky Mathews is releasing a book about finding hope in the aftermath of life’s most difficult storms.
“Finding Hope: 25 Lifelines for Life’s Storms” will be released Aug. 29, 2026 – the 21st anniversary of Katrina’s landfall on the Mississippi Gulf Coast.
“I wrote this as the book I wish someone had handed me when life felt overwhelming,” Mathews said. “This book is for anyone walking through a storm, or for the person who wants to help someone who is. The goal is simple: put hope in people’s hands.”
Mathews draws on experiences spanning much of his life, including surviving Katrina with his family in their Biloxi Back Bay home, battling undiagnosed dyslexia as a child, working as a young paramedic, and leading media companies and volunteer recovery efforts.
The book also shares the stories of people who faced profound adversity and refused to stay broken. Among them are suicide-attempt survivor Emma Benoit; burn survivor and conservationist Ramsey Russell; community leader John Hairston, who lost his daughter and went on to lead in the aftermath of Katrina; and Todd Trenchard, whose addiction led to 40 treatment attempts before he found lasting sobriety and a mission to never give up on anyone.
“Hope isn’t just found. It’s fought for,” Mathews said. “And then it’s meant to be passed forward.”
The book presents 25 practical “lifelines” for navigating life’s hardest challenges, offering tools for holding on, finding purpose in pain, leading with scars, and passing hope forward. While many of the stories are rooted in Mississippi, Mathews said the lessons are intended for anyone, anywhere.
“There is a message in this book for every community leader in the country,” he said. “The worst thing that ever happened to you can become the very thing that helps someone else.”
Each copy of “Finding Hope” includes a “Pass Hope Forward” page where readers can write a short note before placing the book in the hands of someone in need of encouragement. A free group discussion guide for churches, schools, nonprofits, and small groups will be available at RickyMathews.com when the website launches. Bulk discounts will also be available for churches, schools, and nonprofits.
A portion of the book’s proceeds will support Hope Squad, a peer-led suicide prevention program in schools, and Palmer Home for Children.
Mathews currently hosts The Ricky Mathews Show and SuperTalk Outdoors on SuperTalk Mississippi. He is the former president and publisher of The Sun Herald, The Press-Register, and The Times-Picayune.
“Finding Hope: 25 Lifelines for Life’s Storms” will be available Aug. 29 in paperback, hardcover, and e-book through Amazon and at independent bookstores.
