Martha Reed, MS, director of Career Center at Saint Mary-of-the-Woods College, recently checked off a big item on her to-do list when her first book, “The Day Hope Walked Five Miles,” was published.
After years of being asked about how they met, Reed finally shared the “unconventional love story” of her and Paul, her late husband of 38 years, who died in 2024. The 68-page story traces Reed’s journey from growing up in Panama and moving to Indiana, through years of fear, hardship and the search for her voice. She reveals how unexpected love, loss and the presence of her husband, who once walked five miles to save her, became the foundation for their marriage.
“When people asked us (about how we met), we would say, ‘Do you have a couple of hours?’” Reed said. “In 2018, we finally just decided to tell the world our story. Paul helped with the first four chapters, then I mapped out the rest. Life has a funny way of getting in your way, though, and I shelved it altogether for six months because of grad school.”
The couple was still struggling to find a title for the book when Paul died, but that problem was solved when Reed had an ‘aha’ moment in January of 2026.
“I woke up from a dream one morning at 3 a.m. I don’t remember what the dream was about, but I had the title, ‘The Day Hope Walked Five Miles’,” she said. “I believe Paul found a way to get it to me.”
After that, Reed returned to writing, working through the night until early morning. When she finished the first draft in early April, she gave it to trusted friends for a first read-through. Eventually, she turned it over to an online editor for final feedback before reaching out to Rosewood Publishing.
“We wanted to write this book because hope is often born in ordinary places. That’s the way our story was,” she said. “Paul and I took a chance telling our story, and the story shifted without him, but it’s always been about bringing hope to people. And I believe that Paul was there for it every step of the way.”
Reed plans to extend the book’s good works even further by donating a portion of its profits to the Parke-Vermillion County Humane Society.
“One of my co-workers (at SMWC) said they cried while reading the book. Honestly, there were parts where I cried while writing it,” she said. “I want anyone who reads this little book to walk away with hope for their own story.”
“The Day Hope Walked Five Miles” can be found on Amazon or at http://marthareedbooks.com. Reed will also be one of nine local authors and an illustrator participating in a book signing from 11 a.m.-3 p.m. Saturday, July 25, at the Terre Haute Convention Center.
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