They became historic figures: four-star generals, political leaders, billionaires, civil rights leaders, rock stars, leaders of national service, business icons, philanthropists, and prisoners of war. In a year when our nation is celebrating its 250th birthday, this carefully crafted mosaic of sometimes raw but resonant true stories recounting the military, political, social, cultural, and religious history of our nation reflects on the past that brought us here.
Cole's subjects are both average Joes and icons of Americana, and his stories are set in the historical eras when they took place. He balances the intimate scale of a personal memoir with an epic retrospective of American development from colonial times to the present.
Not So Normal People is an easy to read sweep of American history that tells numerous stories of iconic individuals whose lives crossed paths with the author. In narrating the extraordinary life stories of his acquaintances, neighbors, and friends, an East Tennessean recounts his own uniquely interesting tale.