The Fabled Earth By Kimberly Brock

In The Secrets of Cumberland Island, two timelines weave together against the backdrop of the enigmatic Southern landscape. In 1932, the Gilded Age splendor of the Carnegie family is on display at their Plum Orchard estate on Cumberland Island. A vibrant gathering of elite young men, a hopeful debutante awaiting an engagement, and a promising female artist with ties to the family sets the stage for an evening of revelry. However, as passions ignite and secrets unfold, a night of storytelling turns tragic, leading to lives lost and futures irrevocably altered.

Fast forward to 1959, where reclusive painter Cleo Woodbine resides on Kingdom Come, the former servant quarters of the grand houses. Cleo’s solitude is disrupted when Frances Flood, a folklorist, arrives seeking tales of the island and her mother’s connection to the infamous hunting party. Meanwhile, Audrey Howell, recently widowed and running a local inn, captures an unsettling double exposure photograph that stirs whispers of the past, potentially raising a ghost from the fateful night of 1932.

As a rare storm approaches, the threads of Southern mythology and personal reckoning converge. The lives and stories of these three women intersect, revealing the hidden truths of Cumberland Island and the haunting legacy of its history. With the threat of change looming, the past and present collide, illuminating the island’s secrets that have long been buried.