What We're Reading: Charleston Books for October

From immersive fiction that brings the lowcountry to life, to historical perspectives on some of the Holy City’s most colorful characters, books add new depths to the stories and experience of Charleston. Shop our Bookshop.org list to find our top titles and support locally-owned booksellers rather than online behemoths. (We’ve shared other books in the past - you can check out those blog posts here!) 

Here’s what’s on our reading list: 

Slaves in the Family by Edward Ball

This book was written by a descendant of one of the oldest families in Charleston, a family that, between 1698 and 1865, claimed nearly four thousand enslaved people as property. The author 

explores the lore that his white family has passed down about their ancestors and the institution of slavery. He then traces the families of those formerly enslaved by his ancestors, and shares how the stories of their shared ancestors differ from the stories told by his white family. There are instances of descendants who have ancestors from both sides of the family, likely the outcome of a non-consensual relationship between a white male and enslaved woman. It’s a difficult, but important journey of reconciling with a family’s dark past.

The Sweet Hell Inside by Edward Ball

This book follows the mixed-race Harleston family, who descended from a white man and an enslaved black woman. It tells the story of how they gained freedom, and what life was like for Free People of Color in Jim Crow Charleston. Their family became wealthy by running a successful funeral home, and Teddy Harleston is a well-known artist: you can see his work at the Gibbes Museum and the Avery, his alma mater, has a large collection of his work. These are the stories of a free black family who defied social convention and flourished. Learn about their frustrations, their privilege in comparison to other people of color with less opportunity, and a variety of nuances in the society they navigated.

Peninsula of Lies by Edward Ball

Also by the author of Slaves in the Family and The Sweet Hell Inside, this is one of many books about the story of Dawn Pepita Simmons, née Gordon Langley Hall. Dawn was a British writer who lived in Charleston in the 1960s, and who shocked local society more than once. She was assigned male at birth and for decades lived as Gordon Langley Hall, but underwent one of the first gender confirmation surgeries in the 1960s. She then married a black man in the first legal interracial marriage in South Carolina. As the author is more of a story teller than an academic, this story does come across as historic gossip. Also, while this is an important story about an incredible person, please note that this book does not contain the most sensitive approach to covering the life of a trans woman. 

Upheaval in Charleston by Stephen G. Hoffius & Susan Millar Williams

This book tells the story of the aftermath of the 1886 earthquake which shook the city. The South is still recovering from the Civil War and tensions between white and black society are reaching new highs. The massive earthquake rendered a great deal of damage, both physical and social. This also tells the story of an influential figure at the time: British expat Francis Warrington Dawson, drawn to the romance of the Confederacy, works as an editor at a Charleston newspaper and attempts to use his position to make peace between the races. Upheaval in Charleston is an excellent blend of history and storytelling.

Denmark Vesey's Garden: Slavery and Memory in the Cradle of the Confederacy by Ethan J. Kytle & Blain Roberts

This book examines the ways that the history of slavery is told and the confederacy commemorated here in Charleston, especially important because of this city’s role in American history. It’s where almost half of all imported enslaved people were brought to this continent, where secession over the issue of slavery was declared and the Civil War begun, and where, more recently, a white terrorist murdered nine black people as they gathered in a church. Rather than simply denouncing the whitewashing and sanitization of history, this book discusses the importance of examining how that whitewashing of history affects modern policymaking and attitudes.

Charleston Syllabus: Collection of articles on Race, Racism and Racial Violence edited by Keisha N. Blain, Chad Williams, and Kidada E. Williams

This was recommended by Mika Gadsden for her AntiRacist Charleston Book Club @charlestonactivistnetwork. It’s a valuable resource for understanding the roots of America’s systemic racism, white supremacy, the ideals of the Confederacy, and the black church as a foundation for Civil Rights. The book features a collection of writings published after the massacre at Emmanuel AME Church, as well as relevant existing articles and essays. It examines race, racism, and racial violence through the lenses of history, critical race theory, law, sociology, and more, to help build a more thorough understanding and encourage critical thinking on a difficult subject.