Gullah Ghosts: Stories and Folktales from Brookgreen Gardens in the South Carolina Lowcountry with Notes on Gullah Culture and History

by Lynn Michelsohn

Meet . . . ~ the shrieking spirit of Crab Boy lost forever to a fierce Murrells Inlet marsh creature . . . ~ an ingenious slave matching wits with his plantation owner . . . ~ the unique inhabitants of isolated Sandy Island in the Carolina Lowcountry . . . These are the "ghosts" of African-American Gullah culture once so alive on plantations along the coast above and below Charleston, South Carolina. This brief collection (10,000 words, seven illustrations, 84 pages in paperback) of charming Gullah folktales includes one actual ghost story, “Crab Boy's Ghost,” local history and folklore, and notes on Gullah history and culture. An excerpt from her book Lowcountry Ghosts is also included. These selections are also included in Lynn Michelsohn's longer collection, Tales from Brookgreen with its accounts of ghosts, romantic heroines, historical characters, and mysterious visitors to Murrells Inlet in the Lowcountry surrounding Charleston, South Carolina.

Genres: History

84 pages, Paperback

First published December 8, 2010

About the author

Places endure . . . as people come and go . . .

I enjoy researching and writing about fascinating places and the people who have inhabited them: Roswell’s history from Wild West cow town to UFO crash site, ghosts and historic characters of the Carolina Lowcountry, famous visitors to the Galapagos Islands, and currently, Billy the Kid in Santa Fe.

Born in North Carolina, I grew up in Virginia, studied in Vermont, Oklahoma, Montana, and Italy, and have spent much of my adult life in New Mexico. My husband and I currently live in Santa Fe and West Palm Beach, travel when we can, and enjoy visiting with our two adult sons (who seem to have lives of their own).

Reviews

[Laura Thomas · Rating 5 out of 5]

Filled with colorful characters, vivid descriptions and rich in the history of the lowlands of South Carolina, Gullah Ghosts was a pleasure to read.
You will be haunted by drolls, the spirits of children that died unnatural deaths. You will be entertained by a tale of thievery, touched and uplifted by the telling of overcoming adversity and you will learn about the first recording device and the trials of gathering the folk songs and stories to be recorded.
Come meet Cousin Corrie, Aunt bessie, Dr. Wardie, Miss Genevieve and Aunt Hagar, some of the story tellers in this collection.
Lynn Michelsohn's writing is rich in detail, giving you the sense of having been there as she takes you into the 19th century during the times of the civil war and the depression.
I want to tell you so much more, but that would be spoiling it.
I plan to purchase her longer work, Tales From Brookgreen, and delve deeper into the culture and history of South Carolina.
I give this book 5 stars and my highest recommendation.

[TS · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very well written and left the reader wanting more. Living here in South Carolina and frequenting Brookgreen Gardens this book was very interesting and definitely left me wanting to read more.

[Kristen N. · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very well written book. Gullah Ghosts contains several short stories that talk about very interesting and little knows facts of history from South Carolina. I was drawn into the stories rather quickly and when it ended was left wanting more.

[Jeanine · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is an excellent book with stories of the Carolinas low country. I had completely forgotten that I had once, many years ago, taken a class that explored the Gullah language and the people that spoke it; an isolated part of the country with its own language.