Camino Ghosts

“Sweat poured from their skin and puddled and dripped through the cracks of the planks. The stench of sweat, urine, and feces hung like a thick fog that was almost visible. For a few hours each day the men were taken to the deck where they filled their lungs with air and ate gruel from a dirty porcelain bowl. […] The women and children were housed in various rooms below the main deck and they were not shackled. Far fewer in number than the men, their conditions were slightly better, though they lived with the fear of sexual assault.”

Describing the traumatic history of enslavement, John Grisham uses vivid imagery to convey Black people’s horrifying experiences and suffering during their journey from Africa to the New World. The olfactory imagery of the “stench” in the room where the enslaved people were locked conveys the abominable conditions under which they traveled. Grisham particularly emphasizes the terror of rape and sexual abuse against Black women during the period, indicating that it was a key issue during the enslavement. The traumatic legacy of this experience of dehumanization and oppression is dominant throughout the novel.

“They were all barefoot and wore broad, happy smiles of grace and pity. They reached out to their new sisters and their children from Africa. They, too, had made the passage. They had endured the ships. And now they were free.”

Despite the dehumanizing experience of their passage, the enslaved African people were resilient and determined to survive. In Dark Isle, they found a new life within the self-emancipated community that constantly fought for their freedom and self-determination against white enslavers. Thus, Nalla’s arrival on the island and her adjustment to the community reflects the African American experience just as Dark Isle symbolizes Black people’s struggles, resilience, and long quest for freedom.

“Though they would never admit it, because of the inevitable backlash, the suits had already decided that the best way to develop the island was to turn loose the bulldozers. A scorched-earth approach, one that Tidal Breeze knew well. They would save some of the nicer trees, display them, make a fuss over them, and preen about the company’s long-standing commitment to protecting the environment and natural habitats.”

Thematically emphasizing The Conflict Between Development and Preservation, this passage describes Tidal Breeze’s mentality and proposed approach to developing Dark Isle. Disregarding the island’s natural environment, the corporation’s development plans are invasive and destructive. Simultaneously, the text illustrates how corporations often promote their plans by disseminating false and pretentious narratives about environmental protection. In the novel, this underscores Tidal Breeze’s corruption.

“Dark Isle, the place of her birth, the resting place of her people, sacred ground for her. She owned it, as her people had for many years. They had fought off the white men with spears and clubs and then guns. They had shed tears and blood and never surrendered. It was no surprise that the white men were back now, threatening once again. It would be her last stand. She was too old to fight much longer. And, if they were successful now, and they flattened and paved the island and threw up buildings, there would be nothing left for her, nothing to keep fighting for. The fight would not be fair. They had the power and the money. She had nothing but the curse. Nalla’s curse.”

This passage illustrates Lovely’s connection to Dark Isle and foreshadows the legal battle at the center of the narrative. The text indicates the uneven power dynamics in the story, as rich and powerful men threaten to usurp her homeland. However, Lovely’s ancestral history and cultural identity empower her, and the spiritual power of Nalla, her female ancestor, reinforces her strength and resilience, preparing her for the legal struggle.

“A witch doctor stepped from the crowd and placed a wooden bowl and long knife on the ground. He said something to her and she nodded as if to say thanks. She continued her ritual, her dance, her curse. The voodoo was in her blood, passed down from her mother and grandmothers. The three white men, upside down, were suffering intensely and watching Nalla as best they could. When it was time, she placed the wooden bowl under Monk’s head, who squirmed but had no place to go. She held the knife high for all to see and kissed it. Then she squatted, grabbed his mangy hair, spat a curse in her African tongue, and sliced his throat. […] The island had no place for a white man, dead or alive.”

The recurrent symbol of Nalla’s curse helps create a vivid scene about her revenge against her rapist. As part of the voodoo practice, Nalla’s curse connects to African tradition and indicates Nalla’s spiritual power. The graphic violence of the scene makes Nalla’s revenge even more forceful as a demand for justice to avenge her assault and dehumanization by her rapist. The ongoing influence of the curse indicates the haunting legacy of enslavement and the collective responsibility of white people in Black oppression.

“‘That’s been a problem all over the South,’ Steven said. ‘It goes back generations, and it’s the reason a lot of land owned by blacks has been foreclosed. No last will and testament, too many distant heirs, no clear title, so the land gets sold for unpaid taxes.’”

As Lovely enters a legal battle to claim ownership of Dark Isle, the text indicates the historical impediments to Black ownership, which connect to the practice and legacy of racism and discrimination. Black people were often denied the right to own land and the real estate business often discriminated against them, explaining Lovely’s lack of legal proof. The fact that she and her ancestors even lack a birth certificate reveals the state’s treatment of Black people as second-class citizens.

“It’s mine because I’m the last one of my people. Nobody ever wanted Dark Isle. Nobody built schools or roads or even put in electricity. Nobody cared about us. So, we took care of ourselves and we certainly took care of our island. It was the only home we knew. Now, all the rightful owners are gone but me. Everybody else has passed. I’m the true owner of my island and it’s wrong for somebody else to say otherwise.”

Lovely describes the conflicting perspectives on land ownership between her and both Tidal Breeze and the Florida state officials. While the corporation and the state emphasize bureaucratic and legal processes to claim Dark Isle, Lovely’s idea of ownership is based on her ancestral history and cultural identity, which for her inextricably connects to the island. Her “rightful” ownership indicates her consideration of Dark Isle as cultural heritage, whereas Tidal Breeze and the state view it as land open for exploitation, with no regard to its history.

“Mercer said, ‘It’s only fair that you get some of the money. It’s the story of you and your people. I’ll need to spend a lot of time with you to get all of the details and background. It’s not going to be easy, writing is never easy.’ ‘Hardest thing I ever did.’ Mercer chuckled and wanted to say her book was far more interesting than most of what she read.”

Mercer and Lovely bond as they share their writing struggles and the history of Dark Isle as writers. Mercer demonstrates her commitment to honoring Lovely’s memoir and acknowledges her literary efforts while rewriting her own book. In this way, she avoids appropriating Lovely’s narrative and instead connects with her to convey an authentic retelling of the history of Dark Isle while adding her own authorial perspective.

“Tidal Breeze went even further by questioning whether Lovely had been born on the island, as she claimed, or even lived there at all. There was simply no proof of any of it. Taken as a whole, the response was a masterful denial of the legend of Dark Isle.”

As the story’s antagonist, Tidal Breeze demonstrates its destructive force. In addition to claiming legal ownership of Dark Isle, the corporation contests its history and culture. Grisham emphasizes the sociocultural impact of corporate development, suggesting that corporations promote the cultural erasure and exploitation of marginalized communities.

“The stories were kept alive by the telling because we couldn’t write them down. Long before I was born they didn’t have pencils and papers and books and such. But they had words and stories and imaginations. When I was a girl and heard stories about Nalla, I could just see her in my visions.”

Lovely thematically emphasizes The Cultural Power of Storytelling as a means of fostering identity. In Lovely’s community, storytelling developed not only as part of an oral tradition connecting to African cultures but also out of necessity. Because people on the island were isolated from society and lacked resources and academic education, stories conveyed meaning, culture, and experiences, thereby passing down knowledge from generation to generation. Storytelling reinforces Lovely’s cultural authority in the story, empowering her to defeat Tidal Breeze.

“Florida was admitted to the United States as a slave state in 1845. Florida had been a territory since 1821 and slavery was widespread, especially in the north, on cotton plantations and citrus farms around St. Augustine. One of the largest landowners was Stuart Dunleavy, a roguish politician who had once been a soldier and still fancied himself a military man. […] Using bribes and connections, he had amassed huge swaths of land east of Tallahassee and grew cotton on four thousand acres.”

The old practices of white enslavers parallels Tidal Breeze’s current practice of owning and exploiting land because the practices all connect to the legacy of oppression. The emphasis on “landowners” who used “bribes and connections” to ensure their domination directly connects to Tidal Breeze’s greed in developing more land while working with corrupt state politicians to promote its plans. Thus, the effects of corporate capitalism are part of a long history of exploitation and marginalization of Black people.

“She wasn’t looking for new friends. Her cottage, one that she owned with her sister, was a second home, a getaway and a refuge where she craved quietness and solitude.”

This describes Mercer’s connection to Camino Island, which Grisham has explored in the series’ earlier novel. Camino Island was her grandmother’s home and a special place for her, carrying memories of her childhood. This fact is foundational to her character because it explains her keen interest in Lovely’s story and the protection of Dark Isle. While Lovely’s story presents her with an interesting idea for her next book, Mercer’s motivation to get involved also stems from her love for Camino Island.

“Wilson Larney and his super-aggressive tax lawyers had long since perfected the game of Slip & Flip, a barely legal maneuver that involved offshore companies and willing bankers. Whatever profits Tidal Breeze ultimately netted from Old Dunes would remain beyond the reach of the IRS. Indeed, the IRS would never know the identity of the true owner.”

Throughout the novel, Grisham emphasizes the corruption inherent within capitalist corporations and their dubious relationship with the state, particularly regarding the issue of illegal tax evasion that perpetuates economic inequality. While Tidal Breeze continues to expand its land claims, it hides its identity as the owner when securing profit and exploiting systemic corruption. Emphasizing the negative effects of corporate development, the story illustrates the importance of prioritizing land preservation and cultural heritage over development interests.

“As a child she had watched the men build a simple casket for her grandfather and cried as it was lowered into the ground. She knew exactly where it was located. Every person on the island attended each burial, even the small children. She and the others were taught about death from early on. In Africa, death was not to be feared and the dead often rose again as spirits, even ghosts.”

Connecting to the novel’s title, the “ghosts” metaphor suggests the haunting legacy of enslavement and the cultural necessity of honoring the dead. The cemetery on Dark Isle is central in the narrative’s resolution because it establishes the island’s connection to the old, self-emancipated community. Emphasizing Lovely’s spiritual connection to her ancestors, the text indicates the importance of commemorating human legacies, which the building of a memorial guarantees at the novel’s end.

“Well, we didn’t have a Santa Claus over there on Dark Isle. Though it’s not too far from here, it was a different world. It was settled by former slaves, most of them from the plantations of Georgia. They had learned the English language and some of them were Christians, so we had a little Christmas ceremony each year in our chapel. But, as I said, we were very poor and didn’t give gifts and things like that.”

While talking about her life on Dark Isle, Lovely describes the trials and struggles of her community. The isolation of Dark Isle connects to Black people’s experiences of discrimination that marginalized them from mainstream society. In this quotation, her emphasis on the island being a “different world” suggests the inequality between Dark Isle and the Camino Island community. This experience juxtaposes Lovely’s perspective against those of the story’s other main characters.

“In the common law, which we inherited from England, there was even a term for it. ‘Earwigging.’ It was illegal and certainly unethical to earwig a judge.”

Grisham incorporates legal terminology as a stylistic choice to reinforce elements of the legal thriller genre. In this way, he introduces readers to the intricacies of the legal process while also indicating its limitations. The text explores the legal system’s ability to provide social justice, presenting a complex relationship between the law and society.

“Standing between the torches, Lovely raised both hands in front of her, then spread her arms to her sides. She spoke, barely audible even to herself, and called forth Nalla’s spirit. Once Nalla was in place, Lovely called forth Candace, Sabra, Marya, Adora, Charity, and Essie, all of her maternal grandmothers. Then she called her own mother, Ruth. When their spirits were joined she prayed for Nalla to lift the curse. From the dinghy, Diane and Mercer watched in muted fascination. They had been skeptical, to say the least, but at that moment whatever they were looking at was undoubtedly real.”

In a powerful scene, Lovely returns to Dark Isle and undoes Nalla’s curse, which indicates Lovely’s spiritual power reinforced by her cultural identity. The “lift” of Nalla’s curse is a turning point in the narrative that signifies a change in the Dark Isle’s history, since Lovely’s act symbolizes the healing of its traumatic past. Despite Diane and Mercer’s doubts about spirituality (which their Western mindset reinforces), the power of the moment transforms their perspective.

“Well, I did it so my people will never be forgotten. I wanted to preserve the story of Dark Isle from the time my ancestors arrived from Africa. So many of the slave stories have not been told and have been forgotten. I want people to know and remember how they suffered, and how they survived. Today, we don’t know the real history because it has not been taught, and it’s not been taught because so much has been forgotten.”

Explaining the reasons for writing her memoir during her testimony, Lovely thematically emphasizes The Cultural Power of Storytelling as part of preserving and honoring historical and cultural heritage. For Lovely, writing was an act of commemorating her ancestors’ experiences and, in doing so, revealing long-ignored historical truths about the African American experience. Ultimately, the novel represents storytelling as an effective tool to use against erasure and ignorance.

“Lovely wrote a letter to the person quoted in the article, and suggested that Dark Isle, with its truly unique history, would be ideal for a park, sort of a memorial to the former slaves who lived and died there. Her first letter was not answered, but her second drew a response from a Mr. Williford, who, in polite and official language, said they were not interested at that time. She waited six months and wrote him back. There was no response.”

Apart from her life story, Steven proves that the state repeatedly ignored Lovely’s legal claims to ownership of Dark Isle. Lovely had voiced her demands to protect and preserve Dark Isle, including the building of a memorial site to honor the legacy of the enslaved. The state’s unwillingness to engage with her claims indicates how power structures can perpetuate the marginalization of communities and, in this way, perpetuate injustice.

“You see, sir, my people didn’t have a lot of education. We didn’t have a schoolhouse or teachers or books out there on the island. The state of Florida didn’t care about us. We didn’t exist as far as it was concerned. Now it claims to be the owner. How nice. Where was the state of Florida a hundred years ago when it was building schools and roads and hospitals and bridges everywhere else? Not one penny was ever spent on Dark Isle.”

During her testimony, Lovely counters her adversaries by emphasizing their ignorance and indicating the contradiction inherent in state policies. Reflecting on the long history of her community’s marginalization, Lovely sarcastically comments on the state’s neglect, protesting that it never cared about the community’s prosperity and well-being while rushing to claim ownership for its potential development by a corporation. In this way, Lovely depicts the state as a culprit in the destruction and exploitation of Dark Isle and a crucial part in thematically developing The Conflict Between Development and Preservation.

“About the time Tidal Breeze threw in the towel, Diane created the Nalla Foundation. Its mission was “to preserve and honor the memories of the freed Africans who settled on Dark Isle and who could never go home.”

After Lovely’s triumph in the courtroom, the Nalla Foundation (established by Diane) becomes a positive model of land development that replaces Tidal Breeze’s destructive Panther Cay project. Diane raises funds from various sources to ensure its implementation, and while the foundation includes the rebuilding and renovation of Dark Isle, it does so respectfully, oriented toward preservation rather than profit. Ultimately, the Nalla Foundation indicates the thematic importance of Reckoning with The Dark Historical Past, which is part of Grisham’s argument for human-oriented development.

“The doctor said there were several mini-strokes, all of which were worrisome but none of which caused permanent damage. However, there was a greater likelihood of a serious stroke around the corner. Lovely was able to walk just fine and insisted on going home.”

This quotation foreshadows Lovely’s death at the novel’s end as the text implies her imminent health decline. Lovely’s refusal to stay in the hospital suggests that she has accepted her condition and longs for peace after her long struggle to reclaim her homeland. Similarly, her life’s end signifies the end of Dark Isle’s traumatic history.

“In late August, Mercer and Thomas said goodbye and began their drive back to Ole Miss. Classes started in three days. Mercer promised Lovely she would see her soon, but she suspected that was their final visit. Barely audible, Lovely thanked her for such a wonderful book, for caring so much about her and her people. ‘You made us famous,’ she said. Mercer left in tears and cried for an hour in the car.”

Mercer and Lovely’s emotional last encounter reflects their deep connection. As they say goodbye, Lovely thanks Mercer for her work to amplify her voice through her book and share the story of Dark Isle with a wider audience. While the narrative describes Lovely’s voice as marginalized, she recognizes Mercer’s role in promoting her memoir.