Set in a fictional small town in upstate SC, this novel approaches grief and life-changing events in such a unique way. The story follows Florence, a ghostwriter for a popular romance author, who is stuck with her most recent project because well, she no longer believes in love. When her father unexpectedly dies, Florence has to return home to South Carolina and the town that she ran away from. Oh, and did I mention that she sees ghosts? And one of them happens to be her new editor?

Those of us who are fortunate to call the Lowcountry home already know it's a magical place, but for tween, Del Baker, she's about to discover a whole new kind of magic! Delphinia isn't so sure about spending the summer with her Nana Rose on a small South Carolina island. She soon learns all about her family's Gullah Geechee heritage through a special school that practices something called "conjure magic". Through time spent on the island with her new friends and family she's able to learn more about herself and where she fits into the world.

Written in 2012, the story seems even more relevant today then when I first read it more than a decade ago.. The Iguana Tree is the story of two young illegal immigrants whose love for each other and desire to have a better life in the US leads to tragic consequences.

Hill's multiple award-winning book is rooted on a 1783 naval ledger kept by the British to account for the 3000 enslaved and free Black Loyalists who were transported into Canada at the end of the American Revolution. Hill's novel is told from the perspective of an African child, Aminata, who was stolen at age 11 from her village. She is first enslaved on a St. Helena Island indigo plantation. But her yearning to be free places her in conflict with her owners. She learns to read and write in secret in expectation that doing so will help her to get back to Africa. She becomes skilled as a midwife. Her literacy and personal knowledge of the transported Black Loyalists allow her to work on compiling the Book of Negroes in the novel. Her tale covers six decades, 1745 to 1805, three continents, Africa, North American and Europe, and topics related to enslavement, abolitionism, and what it means to be a human being. I agree with Publishers Weekly that "Hill's book is a harrowing, breathtaking tour de force."

Set in Beaufort, deals with younger generation coming home to care for aging parents with dementia, and finding love.

Minnow is a great story! The challenges Minnow faces on his journey take your breath away. Crossing rivers, a wild boar attack, and surviving a hurricane. I couldn't put it down!

Fields-Black brings to light a little-known chapter of the Civil War. Through compelling storytelling and deep archival research, she uncovers the story of formerly enslaved people who liberated themselves and built thriving communities in the South Carolina and Georgia Lowcountry. Rich in detail and human resilience, Combee challenges long-held narratives and offers readers a moving account of courage, autonomy, and the fight for freedom. It is both an essential contribution to American history and an unforgettable read.

This is a great travel log written by an English professor from Wofford College in Spartanburg who canoed from the Pacolet River to the Santee, finishing his journey at the Atlantic Ocean. He covers nature and history along the way while also providing practical information on boat landings, camping options, and, most importantly, how he navigated various portages around numerous dams and locks. I felt that I had accompanied him and might just be ready to try it alone myself.

The Half Pint Flask is a horror novella written in 1926 by the author of Porgy (which later became the famous opera Porgy and Bess). In this story, a sociologist ventures to a Lowcountry island intending to study the local Gullah people but invokes the wrath of an ancient African spirit when he insensitively steals a flask from a grave.

Mary Alice Monroe's latest book is a departure from her typical realistic fiction to historical fiction. The story is set in South Carolina's ACE Basin and revolves around two families whose ties to the land and the natural world are stronger than their ties to each other. Monroe's descriptions pull the reader in and will make you want to explore the vital waters of the ACE Basin in person.

A devastating book that will leave you working over the ending for weeks after you finish, featuring one of the most hauntingly accurate depictions of Charleston I've ever read. Beautiful writing, complicated but relatable characters, and a look at how rigid hierarchies (especially Southern society) stratifies and punishes otherness.

This novel, set in the 1960s, follows a teenage girl who flees home to escape her abusive father and finds refuge with three beekeeping sisters. It's a beautiful, coming-of-age story about healing and belonging.