The story unfolds decades later, when Gillam must suddenly choose between revisiting his shameful past of distilling illegal liquor or holding on to his new life remorsefully.  When his son from his past life suddenly shows up, Gillam is ready to jump ship.   However, if he abandons his second family for the first, will he end up totally alone?   Can he survive facing the white men he took money from?  Will Gillam return to distilling liquor to survive economically?  The answers lie in his journey deep into the marshes.  A journey that reveals characters using good and evil to uplift the Gullah Island with pride.  The consequence of the two forces sparked a family reunion, but not without a series of confessions including just what made Gillam Hale’s moonshine whiskey so tasty!
 
All in all, Fryer uses literary growth and development to quilt a story of romance that stood the test of time, loyalty from a remote community, faith of a devoted son Gillam never knew, and forgiveness of former slave owners with a touch of Gullah cuisine.  THE KNEES OF GULLAH ISLAND shows how distinct the island inhabitants really were!  The story is remarkable with actual lingual cadency making it possible for readers to follow the story and understand how the Gullah-Geechie natives used wit and humor to buck the slave system.  It is full of action and conspiracies!  You will walk away from this story in amazement and with a renewed sense of pride and family values.   

Reviewed by **Guest Reviewer Swaggie Coleman
of The RAWSISTAZ™ Reviewers