The Marrow of Tradition

Set against the backdrop of the 1898 Wilmington race riot, the novel explores the tensions between two families: the white supremacist Carterets and the progressive Millers. Major Philip Carteret leads a campaign to dismantle Black empowerment, while Dr. William Miller, a Black physician, strives to uplift his community by establishing a hospital. The intertwined histories of the families reveal deep-seated racial conflicts and personal struggles, particularly through Olivia Carteret's grappling with her family's mixed-race heritage and her husband's ideals.