Granger Smith is working on a new project this year, a book titled Like A River, which will chronicle he and his wife Amber’s journey following the tragic loss of their son, River.
The 43-year-old country singer and father of four has written a book that will be released in the fall, he recently shared with Music Mayhem.
“I have a book coming out this fall, so [I’m] very excited to shift gears into a completely new medium again and promote a book and talk about a book that I’ve been working on behind the scenes while filming this movie and doing everything else,” he told us.
He further elaborated that the book will detail the journey from tragedy to redemption.
“The book was always kind of bubbling under behind the scenes, and so I’m really excited for that to finally come. It’s called ‘Like A River’ and so it’s, it’s going to be about this journey that my wife and I went through and then my journey after that and what happened after the tragedy and eventually the story of redemption in my life, the real story,” he said.
He Shared That There’s “a Lot To This Story That No One Knows“
Smith previously revealed that he’d written a book with Everything Nash back in December.
“The big project I have for 2023 is actually a book, my first book,” Smith told the outlet at the time. “The manuscript is finished, and there’s probably going to be some kind of musical component to that. So that’s really what my focus is next.”
“It’s about the loss of our son River, and the redemption, the three years of redemption after that, including the birth of Maverick, our youngest son. And as I wrote it and put it all together, I was just thinking, ‘Wow. There’s a lot to this story that no one knows.’ That journey, that roller coaster, I think it’s a story worth telling, and it’s a story worth reading, I hope,” he explained.
“At the end of this book, it’s gonna have a big component for water safety that my wife and I have compiled, aside from the journey completely,” Smith added. “But the main theme of the book will be walking through grief, my journey through grief, and what we found that we would like to pass on to others.”
Granger And His Wife Also Share A Daughter And Two Other Sons
Smith, who also shares daughter London and sons, Lincoln and Maverick with wife Amber, lost his three-year-old son, River Kelly Smith in a tragic drowning accident in 2019.
Despite receiving medical intervention, River was “unable to be revived.” Smith delivered the news via Instagram, calling the loss of his son “unthinkable.”
In addition, the country singer revealed he and his wife made the decision to donate their son’s organs “so other children will be given a second chance at life.”
“Our family is devastated and heartbroken, but we take solace in knowing he is with his Heavenly Father,” Smith wrote. “Riv was special. Everyone that met him knew that immediately. The joy he brought to our lives cannot be expressed, and his light will be forever in our hearts,” he added.
And while Smith used the devastating loss of his son to write a book, that’s not the only project influenced by River.
Smith Recently Starred In The Film, Moonrise
Smith recently starred in the movie, Moonrise, which is available to watch via PureFlix. In the movie, Smith plays a country singer navigating the loss of his wife, who is coincidentally played by Smith’s real-life wife, Amber.
In discussing the role, Smith said how the film’s director told him he thought he’d bring complexity to his character.
“I was like, ‘Yeah, maybe. But the sacrifice of that difficulty would be worth it if it became a message of redemption for others who just randomly watched a film and thought, ‘That’s me. I am that guy,’” Smith said.
Granger Smith has not yet indicated an exact release date for his book.