daufuskie daze: Living, learning, and teaching on a South Carolina sea island

by Jim Alberto

Living on an island where just getting groceries can depend on the tide, newlyweds Jim and Carol Alberto started teaching students in the small wooden schoolhouse on Daufuskie Island, South Carolina. They soon discovered that the kids were well adapted to island existence but unprepared for classroom learning. Little did the Albertos know how much they, too, would learn during their nine-year adventure, especially when it came to survival skills. Throw away those college diplomas … the real education was about to begin! “This fascinating book tells a rare, unvarnished, important story of a committed teacher. Jim Alberto’s pivotal experiences while teaching at the two-room school on Daufuskie Island with wife Carol is an extraordinary example of courage, caring, and perseverance. From his depiction of the Island’s distinct smell in the first chapter to his deep exhale to contentment in the last chapter, Jim’s detailed account will enthrall readers on every page.” - Emory S. Campbell, Gullah Cultural Historian, Hilton Head Island, SC “Refreshing is the word that comes to mind when I think of Jim and Carol coming to Daufuskie. They had quite an effect on the children and all the community. Daufuskie Daze tells the story in a wonderful way.” - Emily and Lancy (Bob) Burn, third generation Daufuskie Islander Jim Alberto comes by his idiosyncrasies naturally, having been born at the Aberdeen Proving Grounds where he was exposed to heavy metals and hazardous chemicals. In 1973, he graduated from the University of South Carolina and his long love affair with the Lowcountry and his “cell-mate” Carol commenced. After his nine-year “honeymoon” and stint teaching on secluded Daufuskie Island, he finished his teaching career on the mainland, sharing his passion for history with his many students and with anyone else who was willing to for history with his manystudents and with anyone else who was willing to listen. Jim now resides on Hilton Head.

271 pages, Hardcover

Published January 1, 2019

Reviews

[Sue · Rating 4 out of 5]

Afte visiting this island last fall for a few hours, reading this made it all more real!

[Paloma · Rating 5 out of 5]

it’s always special when an older family member writes about their lives. it’s a privilege to hear stories from days that no longer exist that have shaped the people you love.

[Pattie aka Grand · Rating 4 out of 5]

Living on Hilton Head pt for the past decade, I have visited Daufuskie several times for the day. I also read Conroy’s The River is Wide. So when the chance came to read Daufuskie Daze, I was all in. It was an interesting read that shed light on the two tiered system of education that seems prevalent in the south, if the number of private schools are any indication. It also chronicles the development of this beautiful part of the SC coast. Interestingly, the (in)ability to get back and forth to Daufuskie is still a big news. The author details the tenure of he and his wife at teachers there for almost a decade from 1974-1983 in a very conversational manner.

[Glenda · Rating 3 out of 5]

"Daufuskie Daze" is the first book written by Jim Alberto, and what a story he has to tell. This is a chronicle of the nine years he and his wife, Carol, spent teaching the children of Daufuskie Island, an isolated barrier island near Hilton Head Island.

Beginning in 1974, teaching at the two-room Mary Fields Elementary School, Jim and Carol's tenure followed that of the Lowcountry's beloved Pat Conroy. Years after his departure, Conroy wrote "The Water Is Wide" to tell his own story of teaching on the island.

Working with the bare minimum of supplies, transportation, facilities, conveniences and communication, this dedicated and determined young couple persevered as the only educational resource on the island. Most of the time relying solely on his own abilities, imagination and common sense, Alberto's duties included anything from vehicle repair, welding and electrical work to navigating the winding, spartina grass-lined creeks between Hilton Head and Daufuskie to replenish supplies ... plus every other task required on any given day to maintain the status quo.

Honing his survival skills became a matter of necessity as he regularly encountered venomous snakes, alligators and bugs of every type and size. And let's not forget the intense heat and humidity of long Lowcountry summers.

Readers will find the descriptions of their experiences both funny and amazing and sometimes even horrifying. The author insists he and his wife learned at least as much as they taught in that nine years. That their passion endured, and they taught there for nine years, is extraordinary.

The Albertos currently reside on Hilton Head, a mere 25-minute boat ride through the creeks from Daufuskie.