At 50, Stephen Starring Grant thought he knew who he was. Then the pandemic took away his career, his health insurance, and much of the life he had built.
Facing cancer and an uncertain future, Grant took an unlikely job as a rural mail carrier in his Appalachian hometown of Blacksburg, Virginia. What he expected to be a temporary lifeline became something far more transformative.
In Mailman, Grant recounts a year of brutal routes, overloaded trucks, dangerous dogs, pandemic chaos, strange packages, and unforgettable encounters with the people behind the mailboxes. Along the way, he discovers the dignity of blue-collar work, the importance of asking for help, and the quiet power of simply showing up for others.
What began as a desperate search for health insurance became a journey toward purpose, belonging, and a renewed faith in community.
Read our Instaread summary of Mailman to discover how one unexpected job changed Grant’s life.
