My name is Dwight Fryer and I am an author and speaker. My first novel The Legend of Quito Road was released June 2006 and was nominated for Outstanding Literary Work from a Debut Author at the 38th NAACP Image Awards in February 2007. My latest novel The Knees of Gullah Island will be released March 1, 2006.
The Knees of Gullah Island follow the story of Gillam Hale, the grandfather of Son Erby from The Legend of Quito Road. Gillam Hale was born to free parents, and his life was untouched by slavery until his African Methodist Episcopal preacher father took him on a trip to minister to the Virginia slaves. Gillam wants beautiful Queen Esther from the moment he sees her, but the only way to purchase her is by distilling illicit whiskey against his family's advice. Though Gillam achieves his aim, his talent for making fine whiskey earns the wrath of jealous white neighbors who kidnap Gillam's family and scatter them to plantations throughout the South. Gillam escapes from his newowners, yet he can never be truly free until he finds his lost loved ones, and faces the legacy of his own rash decisions. The novel's main theme is "bent knees straighten crooked deeds." The Knees of Gullah Island examines Gullah/Geechee culture and its historical significance in the history of the U.S. and the Carolina Lowcountry.
The Knees of Gullah Island follows Gillam, Queen Esther and their son, Joseph, to Charleston, Edisto Island, and the South Carolina Lowcountry in the years surrounding the Civil War and Reconstruction, when the destiny of a nation hung in the balance. Filled with richly drawn characters and details that bring the past to vibrant life, this is a timeless story of love, loss, hope, and rebirth. This story explores the complex racial dynamics that shaped the South through one family's extraordinary journey to freedom.
