Anne Rivers Siddons transports us to a place in the South Carolina lowlands untouched by time. Here exists Dayclear, a small village on land belonging to the family of Siddons’ protagonist Caroline “Caro” Venable. The Gullah inhabitants still heat with wood stoves, and televisions and cars are a rare sight in the one-street community. When Caro realizes the community is in danger of being engulfed by the menace of a theme park development being built by none other than her husband, she knows she has to make a stand. She feels a responsibility to stop the development to preserve the Gullah way of life and also the ecosystem of the surrounding marshland.
Here’s where horses make an appearance: South Carolina’s marsh tackies, descendants of the Spanish barbs that long ago swam from shipwrecks to American shores, still inhabit the lowlands. When Caro retreats to her family’s home place in the marshes, she reacquaints herself with a wild dun mare she’s seen in the past. This time, the mare shows up with a tiny foal at her side. The duo makes repeat appearances in the story, ultimately working as a tie between Caro’s past and present.
If you’re unfamiliar with marsh tackies, “Lowcountry” is a good introduction. Siddon’s language and descriptions are vivid and magnetic, whether she’s portraying the ponies moving through the fog or a home-cooked meal in the Gullah village. The story becomes a real page turner as Caro peels back the layers of the Gullah’s plight in the face of development and the fragility of the lowlands and the marsh tackies.
