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Tales of Edisto
A classic! Includes an epilogue describing Edisto Island and the fables and lore of bygone days.
Retells the tales, handed down from generation to generation, of that fabulous, romantic of the "First Mistress of Bleak Hall," and how she was brought as a baby to Edisto in a rowboat paddled through stormy seas by two faithful of the "Galloping Horseman of Pine Baron," who returned a hundred years after his death to reassure a worried guest at one of the Island's of a plantation mistress who, with the aid of a palmleaf cross, cast off a conjure spell which had one of her slaves at death's door.
The book accounts Island customs and activities, past and present. Mrs. Graydon tells of the social life of the old days, Christmas festivities, summer days on the beach at Edingsville', the fighting of duels on "the Sands." She takes the reader on a bird-watching tour of the Island and on a night hunt for sea turtle eggs. She tells of the development of modern Edisto and its growth as a favorite vacation spot--a development in which "Edisto changes, but somehow remains the same."
Retells the tales, handed down from generation to generation, of that fabulous, romantic of the "First Mistress of Bleak Hall," and how she was brought as a baby to Edisto in a rowboat paddled through stormy seas by two faithful of the "Galloping Horseman of Pine Baron," who returned a hundred years after his death to reassure a worried guest at one of the Island's of a plantation mistress who, with the aid of a palmleaf cross, cast off a conjure spell which had one of her slaves at death's door.
The book accounts Island customs and activities, past and present. Mrs. Graydon tells of the social life of the old days, Christmas festivities, summer days on the beach at Edingsville', the fighting of duels on "the Sands." She takes the reader on a bird-watching tour of the Island and on a night hunt for sea turtle eggs. She tells of the development of modern Edisto and its growth as a favorite vacation spot--a development in which "Edisto changes, but somehow remains the same."
- GenresHistory
174 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1983
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Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews
September 9, 2008
Forgive the book for being written in the fifties, read it fast and enjoy it for what it is. Gives a thumbnail about what Edisto was like before the tourists.
October 12, 2020
Oh Edisto!
The tales of Edisto could continue on and on. My childhood memories of Edisto are cherished and I love that the island has maintained the same lowcountry pause it is known for. After reading this book, I have a new list of places to visit there. Learning new things about Edisto`s history makes it even more cherished. Edisto will always have a piece of my heart, thanks to the author for writing this book.
The tales of Edisto could continue on and on. My childhood memories of Edisto are cherished and I love that the island has maintained the same lowcountry pause it is known for. After reading this book, I have a new list of places to visit there. Learning new things about Edisto`s history makes it even more cherished. Edisto will always have a piece of my heart, thanks to the author for writing this book.
June 3, 2023
This book was informative in terms of providing historical background on the island, but was hard to read due to the author's glorification of the antebellum period and assertions that slaves were happy and well-treated. I thought the 1986 epilogue would address this, but no, it just talked about the more recent development of the island.
November 1, 2020
Good book of the history of Edisto Beach, SC. We spent a week there in a beach front cabin in 2019 so I was interested it it's history. Very interesting book.
June 30, 2025
An absolute treasure. Learned many new facts and Southern customs. Was reminded of some I had forgotten.
July 18, 2015
I'm not familiar with the Edisto area of South Carolina, but I picked this book up from a local used bookstore for its liberal sprinkling of ghostly tales and legends. As a paranormal investigator, researcher, and blogger, I'm always interested in regional tales from throughout the United States. As an added bonus, I'll be visiting nearby Charleston, South Carolina soon and thought this collection of history, anecdotes, and even recipes from this southern island would get me pumped up for the trip!
Obviously, I was a big fan of the ghost stories, but I enjoyed the rest of the book way more than I imagined I would. Even without a prior knowledge of the geography or history of the area, I found the stories and family bios pretty fascinating. However, several parts of the book were a little dry and the overall organization of the stories and topics left much to be desired.
Another somewhat intriguing aspect of this book was that it was originally published in 1955. Although my copy was the edition released in 1986, little (if any) of the original text was altered. Therefore, it contains quite a bit of language that isn't really considered as PC as modern readers might be used to. If you can look past that, it really is a neat collection of stories and a unique glimpse into early life on the island.
Obviously, I was a big fan of the ghost stories, but I enjoyed the rest of the book way more than I imagined I would. Even without a prior knowledge of the geography or history of the area, I found the stories and family bios pretty fascinating. However, several parts of the book were a little dry and the overall organization of the stories and topics left much to be desired.
Another somewhat intriguing aspect of this book was that it was originally published in 1955. Although my copy was the edition released in 1986, little (if any) of the original text was altered. Therefore, it contains quite a bit of language that isn't really considered as PC as modern readers might be used to. If you can look past that, it really is a neat collection of stories and a unique glimpse into early life on the island.
October 11, 2014
Quite a hodgepodge of stories, including some transliterated Gullah and ghost stories and recipes.
Somewhat interesting if you know much about the geography of the island.
Romanticizes the "negroes" and plantations in much the way a book written in the Carolinas in 1955 ("revised" in 1986) would.
Somewhat interesting if you know much about the geography of the island.
Romanticizes the "negroes" and plantations in much the way a book written in the Carolinas in 1955 ("revised" in 1986) would.
August 15, 2010
Great book. It was really cool to read about history on the island and then to see alot of the places it discussed.
August 19, 2015
I enjoyed this book and hope to visit the island someday
Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews