Camino Ghosts

Camino Ghosts, a 2024 novel by American author John Grisham, is the third installment in his Camino series. The story follows novelist Mercer Mann and bookstore owner Bruce Cable, recurring characters in the series, as they uncover the haunting history of Dark Isle, a secluded and deserted island off the Florida coast. Grisham explores the history of enslavement, the preservation of cultural heritage, and the degrading effects of development, blending legal thriller with historical fiction.

Grisham is a best-selling author, lawyer, and former member of the Mississippi House of Representatives. His books have been translated into 42 languages. He’s a two-time winner of the Harper Lee Prize for Legal Fiction and received the Library of Congress Creative Achievement Award for Fiction. In addition, Grisham serves on the board of directors of the Innocence Project and the Centurion Ministries, national organizations that help exonerate wrongfully convicted people.

This guide uses the 2024 e-book edition by Hodder & Stoughton.

Content Warning: The source material and this guide discuss racism, graphic violence, sexual violence, rape, pregnancy loss, and death by suicide.

Plot Summary

Mercer Mann, a best-selling author and creative writing professor at Ole Miss, marries her longtime boyfriend, Thomas, on Camino Island, Florida. Bruce Cable, her friend and former lover, presides at the ceremony. Mercer is under contract with Viking Press but struggles with writer’s block for her next book. To inspire her, Bruce, who owns the independent bookstore Bay Books, acquaints Mercer with the history of Dark Isle. He explains that it’s a deserted barrier island off the coast that once was a sanctuary for self-emancipated Black people.

Lovely Jackson authored a self-published memoir, The Dark History of Dark Isle, which tells the story of her great-grandmother Nalla. The book is on the store’s shelves. Lovely claims that she’s the rightful owner of the island as the last descendant of its formerly enslaved residents. However, the Tidal Breeze corporation has targeted the island to develop a resort called Panther Cay. Bruce gives Lovely’s memoir to Mercer, and she reads it during her honeymoon.

Nalla, a 19-year-old African woman, was abducted from her village in Kongo and separated from her family. She and other women endured physical abuse and abominable conditions on the ship Venus, which transported them to the US. During the trip, a white man named Monk raped Nalla. The Venus sank in a storm, and the few survivors landed on Dark Isle, where a community of self-emancipated Black people welcomed Nalla and the other women, assuring them that they were safe and free. The community’s leader, Joseph, captured the white men (including Monk) from the ship. Nalla performed a voodoo ritual to prevent any white man from surviving on the island and then cut Monk’s throat.

Tidal Breeze promotes its plans for the resort, and rumors hold that the company is colluding with corrupt state officials to evade taxation for the project. Tidal Breeze’s experts tried to approach Dark Isle, but (unbeknownst to the owner) their crew members died. Bruce, motivated by his love for Camino Island and respect for Lovely, calls Steven Mahon, a pro bono lawyer who runs a nonprofit organization for environmental protection. He convinces Steven to take Lovely’s case for free.

Mercer is fascinated by Lovely’s simple but compelling narration and decides to write a nonfiction book. She asks Bruce to introduce them, since she wants confirmation before beginning the project.

Lovely lives alone in The Docks, a neighborhood near the canneries where she used to work, and Miss Naomi, one of her neighbors, cares for her. Lovely agrees to meet with Steven and Mercer in the bookstore. She knows about Tidal Breeze’s plans and thinks only the power of Nalla’s curse can protect her island against the rich white men who threaten it.

During the meeting, Steven explains to Lovely that a lawsuit is the only way to fight Tidal Breeze. Mercer explains that she wants to rewrite Lovely’s story to connect the past and the present, promising to compensate her with part of the book’s profits. Despite her initial hesitation, Lovely agrees to both. Bruce summons another friend, Gifford Knox, an author and environmental activist, to galvanize the community to protect Dark Isle.

Steven files the lawsuit, detailing Lovely’s claim. She continues meeting with him to prepare for the trial, and Mercer, immersed in the memoir, pursues discussions with her. Lovely explains to them that her ancestors relied on stories to pass on knowledge.

Tidal Breeze has a long history of corruption, involving tax evasion and the use of offshore companies. Its owner, Wilson Larney, asks his lawyers to bribe Lovely to withdraw her claims and suggests that they try to influence Judge Lydia Salazar, who presides in the case, in their favor. Steven notifies Lovely of Tidal Breeze’s generous offer, but Lovely denies it.

Diane Krug, an intern in Steven’s organization, becomes involved in the case, tirelessly searching for witnesses and learning about environmental law. Despite her enthusiasm, the task proves challenging since few people who knew Nalla are alive. Lovely tells Diana more about the history of Dark Isle, and while Diana is skeptical about the reality of all the stories, she connects with Lovely.

Lovely gives a deposition in court, describing her life and ancestral history. Steven and Diane notice discrepancies between her testimony and her memoir and fear that her memory might not be sharp. In addition, the fact that Lovely lacks legal proof of her connection to the island worries them.

Judge Salazar illegally discusses the case with Steven off the record, and after their conversation, Steven realizes that her mindset favors development. He suspects that Tidal Breeze secretly owns a new condo development named Old Dunes, where Judge Salazar’s son works as a mechanic. Gifford and Bruce devise a plan to reveal the owner of Old Dunes and achieve it through a lawsuit. Steven warns Judge Salazar about her conflict of interest, forcing her to resign from the case.

A new judge, Judge Clifton Burch, is appointed. Meanwhile, Steven and Diane consider visiting the island to take DNA samples from the cemetery that Lovely describes in her memoir, thereby proving her ancestry in court. Diane contacts an archaeological team that locates and preserves the burial sites of enslaved Africans. Lovely, however, warns her that only she can make the island safe for visitation by undoing Nalla’s curse.

Lovely, Diane, and Mercer arrive on Dark Isle with the archaeological team. Lovely is first to go ashore. Lighting two torches, she evokes the spirit of her ancestors to lift the curse. Despite Mercer and Diane’s skepticism about spirituality, the moment feels real to them. After this, the island is safe. Despite the island’s dense forests, they locate the cemetery with Lovely’s help. However, Hurricane Leo degraded and scattered the remains. The samples are insufficient to establish a match to Lovely’s DNA.

The trial begins, and Lovely confronts Tidal Breeze and Florida state, which also claims ownership of Dark Isle. Her adversaries argue that the island has been uninhabited for years and belongs to the state. Tidal Breeze attempts to depict Lovely’s stories as fiction. Lovely details her life story, reflecting on her and her ancestors’ experiences as Black people in the US. For years, the state neglected the island, and the community remained marginalized yet survived. Due to diseases and lack of food, the settlement declined, and Lovely had to abandon the island. Her memoir is a testament to her ancestors, illuminating the lasting legacy of enslavement. She argues that she’s the island’s rightful owner since her ancestors are buried there. Steven provides Lovely’s written claims to the state regarding the preservation of Dark Isle and her attempts to pay taxes, which the state repeatedly ignored.

Following these events, Mercer writes rigorously. Steven is certain that the judge won’t allow development on a burial ground of enslaved people. In a few days, Judge Burch proclaims Lovely the owner of Dark Isle. Bruce organizes signings for Lovely, while Mercer’s book, The Passage, is published. A skilled fundraiser, Diane founds the Nalla Foundation to preserve Dark Isle and erect a memorial honoring those who were enslaved. Mercer begins a book tour, and her book becomes a bestseller. As part of the tour, she does readings with Lovely on Camino Island and in Washington. However, Lovely’s health declines. After several strokes, she relocates to a rehab facility. When she thanks Mercer for her help, it’s their final encounter, and Mercer is devastated.

Days later, Lovely dies at age 82. In her will, she grants Dark Isle to the Nalla Foundation. Her last wish is to be buried on the island. After her body is cremated, Diane and Mercer secretly transport her ashes to Dark Isle to rest close to Nalla and her ancestors.