Some stories are so beautiful, they feel like they could only happen right here in KENTUCKY.

Beth Aubrey was just a 15-year-old girl in a tiny Southeastern Kentucky coal town when she sent a letter to a pirate radio station, looking for a pen pal. Jim Aubrey was a 16-year-old boy in a quiet English fishing port when he answered.

Two teenagers, two different worlds. Letters flew back and forth, and a sweet friendship bloomed… until life tore them apart.

Forty-two years later—after heartache, hardship, and God’s perfect timing—a single, worn Christmas bookmark led Jim to search for Beth. And their story of faith, perseverance, and true love became The Long Flight Home: A True Story of Years Lost and Love Found.

Friends… THIS is the kind of story that will make you laugh, cry, and believe in hope all over again.

And on Saturday, August 30, you can meet Beth & Jim Aubrey in person, hear their journey, and get your copy signed. This is more than a book signing—it’s a chance to touch a piece of living Kentucky storytelling, the kind we can’t let fade away.

Come let your heart be reminded why we read, why we love, and why supporting Kentucky authors matters so much.