Pompey Walker dreams of going to school, but as a slave in the 1830s, this is only a dream, until slavery-hating Jeremiah Walker, son-in-law of the plantation owner, buys Pompey's freedom. Together, they devise and carry out a plan to get money to found a school for black children. Inspired by a newspaper account of an Ohio man's experiences, as well as the recollections of former slaves, this tale recounts an unforgettable and harrowing journey of the human spirit.