The Goophered Grapevine

In "The Goophered Grapevine," the first story from The Conjure Woman, Julius McAdoo, a former enslaved man, shares a cautionary tale with John and Annie, a couple interested in purchasing a vineyard in Patesville, North Carolina. McAdoo recounts the vineyard's troubled past, involving a curse placed by a conjure woman named Aunt Peggy to protect it from theft, leading to dire consequences for those who disregard it. Despite McAdoo's warnings about the lingering curse, John decides to buy the property, setting the stage for the unfolding of its dark history.