When she was pregnant and visiting her parents on the island, Robinson"s mother unexpectedly went into labour while making dinner at the wood-burning stove. A midwife came to help, ushering baby Sallie Ann into the world. After the birth, mother and daughter were stuck on Daufuskie until they could safely travel. Drawn in by the coastal beauty and comforted by the presence of family, Robinson"s mother decided to stay in their Gullah cottage – small homes constructed by the first freed slaves able to own land.