Showdown At The Beanstalk: Stories of an Overcomer

From imagining a giant had climbed down the beanstalk onto the small Georgia farm where he was living as a 5-year-old, to surviving the world’s deadliest leukemia while working in a Presidential Administration, Chris Skates’ journey weaves unexpected humor through life’s toughest moments. Through 43 moves across the American South, violent abuse, and endless school transitions, author Chris Skates found an unexpected gift: storytelling. This memoir chronicles how a boy made kids laugh on dozens of new school playgrounds and eventually took his Southern storytelling from coal plant break rooms to White House briefings. While faith anchors these essays–from childhood challenges to a seemingly impossible medical victory over cancer at Johns Hopkins–Skates’ wit and warmth shine through each story. He shares playground mishaps and hospital room revelations with equal parts, humor and heart, revealing how divine grace shows up in both ordinary and extraordinary moments. “Showdown at the Beanstalk” speaks to anyone who’s ever felt like an outsider, faced impossible odds, or found unexpected laughter in life’s darkest valleys. Perfect for readers who loved the Southern charm of Rick Bragg’s “Where I Come From” and the spiritual wit of Anne Lamott’s “Traveling Mercies.”