Summary.
In 1898, a young girl named Vanetta James finds her world shattered when her mother dies suddenly from yellow fever. At just sixteen years old, Vanetta is left in the care of her cruel stepfather, Marshall Fletcher. Grief-stricken and vulnerable, she soon finds herself the target of inappropriate behavior from Marshall, who wastes no time remarrying after her mother's death. His new wife, Nadine, makes it clear that she sees Vanetta as a threat to her new marriage and immediately begins to mistreat her.
Unable to tolerate Vanetta’s presence, Nadine hatches a plan to rid herself of the young girl. After a particularly brutal night of abuse, Vanetta is sold to Nadine’s mentally unstable cousin, Jackson Porter. Jackson, a wealthy landowner, is the founder of Porter Homestead, a freed settlement in South Carolina. Located on the Beaufort, Port Royal, and Sea Islands, Porter Homestead is home to the largest Geechee community in the Southeast.
It is here, on this land, that the origins of the Porter family an influential Black mafia family begin. Vanetta is traded as a bargaining piece by her stepmother to preserve her marriage, but this sacrifice will test Vanetta’s resilience in unimaginable ways. Will she be strong enough to endure the hardships ahead and rise above the darkness of her past?
This is the story of Vanetta, Phillip Sr.’s grandmother, whose strength and determination paved the way for the powerful legacy of the Porters.
Summary.
In 1898, a young girl named Vanetta James finds her world shattered when her mother dies suddenly from yellow fever. At just sixteen years old, Vanetta is left in the care of her cruel stepfather, Marshall Fletcher. Grief-stricken and vulnerable, she soon finds herself the target of inappropriate behavior from Marshall, who wastes no time remarrying after her mother's death. His new wife, Nadine, makes it clear that she sees Vanetta as a threat to her new marriage and immediately begins to mistreat her.
Unable to tolerate Vanetta’s presence, Nadine hatches a plan to rid herself of the young girl. After a particularly brutal night of abuse, Vanetta is sold to Nadine’s mentally unstable cousin, Jackson Porter. Jackson, a wealthy landowner, is the founder of Porter Homestead, a freed settlement in South Carolina. Located on the Beaufort, Port Royal, and Sea Islands, Porter Homestead is home to the largest Geechee community in the Southeast.
It is here, on this land, that the origins of the Porter family an influential Black mafia family begin. Vanetta is traded as a bargaining piece by her stepmother to preserve her marriage, but this sacrifice will test Vanetta’s resilience in unimaginable ways. Will she be strong enough to endure the hardships ahead and rise above the darkness of her past?
This is the story of Vanetta, Phillip Sr.’s grandmother, whose strength and determination paved the way for the powerful legacy of the Porters.
