Mamba's daughters: A novel of Charleston

By DuBose Heyward

In a city where race and class determine who may enter through which door, Mamba refuses to leave her family's prospects to chance. Resourceful and determined, she navigates the rigid boundaries of early twentieth-century Charleston, seeking greater social and economic opportunity for those closest to her. Her ambitions reach beyond her own life to her daughter Hagar and granddaughter, binding three generations to a struggle shaped by loyalty, privilege and the costs of advancement. Behind the doors of elite households, Black working lives and white wealth are closely connected yet sharply divided. Domestic service creates dependence across racial lines without dissolving segregation, while ambition, deception and social competition complicate relationships among several families. This historical novel moves between domestic interiors, established neighbourhoods and city streets, revealing how private decisions are constrained by public hierarchies and how family loyalty can become both a source of strength and a demanding obligation. Gullah-inflected speech gives the Black community a distinctive presence, set against the manners and expectations of elite society. Rather than treating the city's communities as separate worlds, the novel traces the labour, intimacy and inequality that link them, sustaining a detailed portrayal of Black subculture alongside the households it serves. Its focus on women, family history and social mobility brings the structures of racial segregation into the fabric of everyday life. This book was out of print for decades and is now republished by Alpha Editions. It has been restored for today's and future generations. This edition is not just a reprint - it's a collector's item and a cultural treasure.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 9309332972
• ISBN13: 9789309332975
• Release Date: November 2026
• Publisher: Alpha Edition
• Length: 218 Pages
• Weight: 0.66 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.5" x 6.0" x 9.0"