Great rice plantations once existed along the rivers of coastal South Carolina. African slaves from the continent's rice-growing regions transformed lowcountry swamps into productive fields. Even today, the earthen dams are still visible, and the Gullah dialect still spoken by descendants.
A historically accurate portrayal of rice cultivation before the Civil War, Dark River captures the essence of time and place in the lives of two interdependent families, one black, the other white, as enduring bonds are built that span generations, transcending race and class amid the tragedy of slavery.