In writing this book I hope to give you some feeling of what Hilton Head Island was like before and after the Bridge. I was encouraged by many friends who listened to the stories my mother would entertain them with when Hilton Head was one of the islands inhabited mostly by blacks. She knew them as friends, and since some spoke Gullah, a dialect spoken by low-country island natives, it helped that she spoke it fluently (or at least communicated beautifully). Hilton Head at that time was truly an island paradise with beautiful virgin forest, environmentally pristine marshes, miles of uninhabited beach and one dirt road! This was the island I knew as a teenager in 1951. This is a history of Hilton Head that I have been a part of and watched year by year develop into what we see today. It has been a great experience and I hope you enjoy the stories of some of the true pioneers of Hilton Head Island. But when all is said and done, I truly know that islanders either "old" or "nearly new" all love this island. And that is why I'm writing this book: to share its "old" tales with the "nearly new."

A fearless 10 year old Melusi was entrusted by his father to care for his flock. He was just a young boy modeling after Jesus Christ “I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd gives His life for the sheep.” John 10:11. At his age Melusi had already faced a life-long series of challenges, dating back before birth. At only 10 Melusi was a planet-shaker with his remarkable understanding of the things of the spirit. Melusi was the only son of Mlungisi and Nondumiso Zondo, a son they got in their 40s, and he was very close to their hearts. The couple had made their own share of mistakes and believed to have paid heavily for. The Zondos were residing in the Kwa-Zulu Natal province in a small village called Nongowa in Zululand under Chief Govozile and Queen Makhosi Nkabinde. The royal family was blessed with only one child, a daughter Princess Nobuhle. The biologically unrelated Nkabinde and Zondo family found themselves relating in a rather surprising way. See how the blood connected the two families, as we turn into the previous page to witness what happened ‘Before The Bridge’.

One exceptional boy journeys into the ashes of society to find the cure for a devastating plague in this riveting post-apocalyptic standalone set in the same world as the USA Today-bestselling The Girl With All the Gifts. Once upon a time, in a land blighted by terror, there was a very clever boy. The people thought the boy could save them, so they opened their gates and sent him out into the world. To where the monsters lived. "Strange and surprising and humane" (Lauren Beukes), The Boy on the Bridge is a gripping, powerful story that will make you question what it means to be human.

Exploring the university's role in understanding how disasters impact communities.

The inspiring post-Civil War history of the Gullah people on Hilton Head Island, as told by their descendants.

*Now a Hulu limited series starring Lily Gladstone, Riley Keough, and Archie Panjabi!* “A swift, harrowing classic perfect for these unnerving times.” —Jenny Offill, author of Dept. of Speculation One moonlit night, fourteen-year-old Reena Virk went to join friends at a party and never returned home. In this “tour de force of crime reportage” (Kirkus Reviews), acclaimed author Rebecca Godfrey takes us into the hidden world of the seven teenage girls—and boy—accused of a savage murder. As she follows the investigation and trials, Godfrey reveals the startling truth about the unlikely killers. Laced with lyricism and insight, Under the Bridge is an unforgettable look at a haunting modern tragedy.

"Readers will be captivated by this beautifully written novel about young people who must use their instincts and grit to survive. Padma infuses her story with hope and bravery that will inspire readers."--Aisha Saeed, author of the New York Times Bestseller Amal Unbound Four determined homeless children make a life for themselves in Padma Venkatraman's stirring middle-grade debut. Life is harsh on the teeming streets of Chennai, India, so when runaway sisters Viji and Rukku arrive, their prospects look grim. Very quickly, eleven-year-old Viji discovers how vulnerable they are in this uncaring, dangerous world. Fortunately, the girls find shelter--and friendship--on an abandoned bridge that's also the hideout of Muthi and Arul, two homeless boys, and the four of them soon form a family of sorts. And while making their living scavenging the city's trash heaps is the pits, the kids find plenty to take pride in, too. After all, they are now the bosses of themselves and no longer dependent on untrustworthy adults. But when illness strikes, Viji must decide whether to risk seeking help from strangers or to keep holding on to their fragile, hard-fought freedom.