01.
The Gold-Bug
This short story follows William Legrand, who after losing his family fortune in New Orleans moves to Sullivan’s Island where discovers a mysterious gold-colored bug. He becomes obsessed with this beetle-like creature and believes it will bring back his fortune. Soon he goes on a hunt and eventually finds a buried treasure using principles of cryptography. It was Poe's most popular work during his lifetime and is considered an early form of detective fiction.
02.
The Demons of Unrest
In this fascinating chronicle of building in modern-day Charleston, the author Witold Rybczynski tells the story of a group of local architects, builders, and amateur developers who in the 1980s joined forces to rebuild a block in a city known for its exacting historical preservation. The result is an eclectic group of buildings including a medieval castle and a miniature Palladian villa. This books is as much about the innovative players who pulled this off as it is about the power of urban design to reinvent neighborhoods.
03.
Charleston Fancy
In this fascinating chronicle of building in modern-day Charleston, the author Witold Rybczynski tells the story of a group of local architects, builders, and amateur developers who in the 1980s joined forces to rebuild a block in a city known for its exacting historical preservation. The result is an eclectic group of buildings much about the innovative players who pulled this off as it is about the power of urban design to reinvent neighborhoods.
04.
South of Broad
Known for his popular Southern novels like “Prince of Tides” and “The Great Santini,” author Pat Conroy knows how to mine the charms and challenges of the Carolina coast. Here he tells the story of brothers Stephen and Leo Leopold and their friends living in Charleston. The novel follows the group— black and white, straight and gay, rich and poor, as high school seniors in the 1960s to the late 1980s, when they meet up again.
05.
Gullah Geechee Home Cooking
Published shortly before her death at age 90, the Gullah Geechee cookbook celebrates the cooking of Emily Megget, a chef, mother, and beloved member of the Gullah Geechee community of Edisto island. The book showcases the cuisine that is deeply rooted in West African traditions — still to this day—with dishes deeply connected to the land and sea. Megget’s recipes are rich and flavorful and the snippets of her long life in Low Country are even more fascinating.
06.
Edisto
This coming-of-age novel set on the quiet island of Edisto has been called the Southern version of “The Catcher in the Rye,” and for good reason. It tells the story of Simons Manigault, a 12 year-old boy and his eccentric mother who believes her son could become a famous writer. Well versed in the literary classics, Manigault sets out in the Low Country world to gather material. Nominated for a National Book Award when it came out in 1984, this dazzling book put author Padgett Powell on the literary map.
