National bestselling author William Elliott Hazelgrove has announced the publication of his new narrative nonfiction book, The Camp Mystic Flood: A Story of Tragedy and Heroism, set for release in hardcover by Bloomsbury on July 8, 2027. The book coincides with the second anniversary of the July 4, 2025, flood that devastated Camp Mystic on the Guadalupe River in Texas, killing 27 girls in one of the deadliest camp disasters in U.S. history.
Drawing inspiration from Sebastian Junger's The Perfect Storm, Hazelgrove reconstructs the flood minute by minute, following campers, counselors, parents, rescuers, and community members as they confronted the catastrophe. The book is based on 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.
Hazelgrove emphasizes that the book is not an indictment or defense. "My goal is to tell the whole story—how this tragedy unfolded, who the people were who experienced it, and the extraordinary acts of courage, sacrifice, faith, and heroism that emerged from one of the worst natural disasters in Texas history," he said. The book examines the history of Camp Mystic, the flood history of the Guadalupe River, rescue efforts, and questions of responsibility that have emerged in the disaster's aftermath.
While litigation and public debate continue over accountability, Hazelgrove notes that the book does not advance a predetermined conclusion. "As a historian and narrative nonfiction writer, my responsibility is to follow the facts wherever they lead, to listen to all sides, and to tell this story with fairness, compassion, and historical rigor," he said. The book focuses on the human experience—the families who entrusted their children to the camp, the counselors who fought to save them, the rescuers who risked their lives, and the legacy of the 27 girls who died.
William Elliott Hazelgrove is the national bestselling author of more than twenty books of fiction and nonfiction. His works have received starred reviews from Publishers Weekly, Kirkus Reviews, and Booklist, and have been featured on NPR, C-SPAN, and in national newspapers. The Camp Mystic Flood: A Story of Tragedy and Heroism will be published in hardcover by Bloomsbury on July 8, 2027.
