Standing in the Gap by Sherman E. Pyatt
Although freedom came to enslaved African Americans after the Civil War, many Gullah families remained isolated on South Carolina barrier islands where they worked the land, the rivers and the sea. Standing in the Gap, much of it written in a Gullah patois, is about typical African-American family life from 1915 to 1917 on Wadmalaw Island and in nearby Charleston.

The Logan-Rouse line of sea islanders includes young Jacob Rouse who, like his late grandfather “Big Leon” Logan, possesses an eerie connection to the spiritual world brought with them five centuries earlier from Africa.
The story opens on a humid summer day with the arrival of the midwife at Jacob’s grandmother’s house, where the boy’s aunt is about to deliver her first child. We soon learn Jacob is an especially spiritual child born “under the veil” with a distinctive birthmark. An enigma to family and friends, Jacob provides relief from their burdens. He is a gift from above who, the old folk say, is “standing in the gap” between Heaven and Earth. This story is abundant in African-American tradition, culture and suspense, and expressed in an authentic Gullah dialect enlightening and enjoyable, especially if read aloud. Charleston native and author Sherman E. Pyatt includes a helpful glossary of Gullah words, a collection in itself worth the purchase price.

Sherman E. Pyatt is a historian, archivist, and Charleston native with deep roots in the Lowcountry. He earned his Bachelor of Arts from Johnson C. Smith University and a Master of Library and Information Science from Indiana University, with additional certifications in archival sciences from Georgia State University. Pyatt has held research and archival roles at institutions including The Citadel Military College, the Avery Research Center at the College of Charleston, and South Carolina State University.
A former commissioner for the Gullah Geechee Cultural Heritage Corridor, he currently serves as a research assistant at the International African American Museum. Pyatt is the author of several books on African American history and culture, and his latest novel, Standing in the Gap, explores Gullah spirituality, heritage, and community life in early 20th-century South Carolina.