The Death of Driftwood

When outsiders close in and old fears resurface, a hidden coastal town must confront whether it can survive its own divisions.

Hidden along the Virginia coast lies Driftwood, a town unlike any other. Founded in the eighteenth century by escaped slaves and shipwrecked French Quakers, Driftwood became a rare refuge where Black and white families lived together, intermarried, and built a life apart from the outside world's laws and hatreds. For generations, they survived in secret, protecting their children from discovery and shielding their community from destruction.

By 1960, that fragile peace is crumbling. The townspeople prepare for their ritual of hiding children from the census takers—until Delaney, a rebellious Black teenager, defies tradition and threatens to expose Driftwood to the world. Into this moment of tension steps Thomas Morse, a minister with a troubled past. At first he offers hope, but his influence soon turns corrosive, sowing distrust and division. Prejudice and jealousy ignite, leading to violence that could destroy Driftwood forever.

Blending history and imagination, The Death of Driftwood is a sweeping, multigenerational story of refuge, resilience, and the devastating cost of fear and intolerance.