National bestselling author William Elliott Hazelgrove has announced the publication of his latest work of narrative nonfiction, The Camp Mystic Flood: A Story of Tragedy and Heroism, to be published in hardcover by Bloomsbury on July 8, 2027. The book will be released on the second anniversary of the devastating July 4, 2025, flood that swept through Camp Mystic on the Guadalupe River in Texas.
The book presents the first comprehensive, deeply reported account of one of the deadliest camp disasters in American history, in which 27 girls lost their lives when unprecedented floodwaters overwhelmed the century-old summer camp in the Texas Hill Country. Drawing inspiration from Sebastian Junger's The Perfect Storm, Hazelgrove's book reconstructs the events minute by minute, following campers, counselors, parents, rescuers, camp owners, first responders, and community members as they confronted the catastrophe.
Hazelgrove stated that the book is not an indictment or a defense, but aims to tell the whole story of how the tragedy unfolded, who experienced it, and the acts of courage, sacrifice, faith, and heroism that emerged. He spent months conducting extensive research, including interviews with survivors, families, first responders, meteorologists, and local residents, as well as on-site reporting in Kerr County and the Texas Hill Country.
The book examines the catastrophic flood, the history of Camp Mystic, the geography and flood history of the Guadalupe River, rescue efforts, and the difficult questions that have emerged in the disaster's aftermath. While litigation and public debate continue over responsibility, Hazelgrove emphasized that the book will follow the facts wherever they lead, listening to all sides to tell the story with fairness, compassion, and historical rigor.
At its heart, The Camp Mystic Flood: A Story of Tragedy and Heroism focuses on the human experience: families who entrusted their children to the camp, counselors who fought to save them, rescuers who risked their lives, and the enduring legacy of the 27 girls who died. Hazelgrove is the national bestselling author of more than 20 books of fiction and nonfiction, with works receiving starred reviews from Publishers Weekly, Kirkus Reviews, and Booklist, and featured by major media outlets including NPR and C-SPAN.
