Content Warning: This section discusses rape, physical abuse, graphic violence, sexual violence, pregnancy loss, death by suicide, and racism.



Mercer Mann is marrying her boyfriend, Thomas, on the beach in Camino Island, Florida. Bruce Cable, the owner of Bay Books and Mercer’s former lover, is officiating as the “fake minister.” The guests include several of Mercer’s colleagues from the University of Mississippi, where she teaches creative writing. Although Mercer’s second novel became a bestseller, she still needs a salary. She’s under contract with Viking Press and is searching for an idea for her third novel. Bruce invites the couple to his bookstore the morning after the ceremony and wedding party, suggesting that he has a great story for Mercer.

Locals frequent Bruce’s bookstore. When Mercer and Thomas arrive, Bruce tells the story of Dark Isle, an undeveloped and deserted barrier island between Florida and Georgia. In the 18th century, the island became a refuge for self-emancipated Africans. In 1760, a ship called the Venus from West Africa, transporting enslaved people to Savannah, sank during a storm, and the few enslaved people who survived landed on Dark Isle.