Young Elijah Freeman has a special life. Elijah was the very first child to be born free in the Elgin settlement at Raleigh in Canada West near the American border. The settlement, located in Buxton, was established to help and protect runaway slaves escaping from America.

One of the founders of the settlement, the very important Mr. Frederick Douglass, visited once when Elijah was a baby. Delivering a passionate speech, Mr. Douglass held baby Elijah, tossing him into the air. Unfortunately, baby Elijah vomited on his head. The story of this incident has been hilariously embellished over the years by the town folk, leaving Elijah with a reputation not only for his status of the first free-born child in Elgin, but for this embarrassing mishap, as well.

Elijah's most special talent involves "chunking" rocks. He has an expert aim, and has taught himself how to kill fish by hitting them in the head with rocks. His biggest problem is his frightened nature, of which his mother constantly tries to make him aware. Elijah scares easily and is, what his mother calls, "fra-gile."

Elijah's story tumbles along through his adventures with his best friend, Cooter, and his unusual relationship with a sketchy "preacher," who is clearly not the holy man he pretends to be. Elijah inadvertently becomes embroiled in a scheme that turns dangerous and, in his desire to help his good friend, Leroy, he must work up the courage to go into Michigan to face down a thief, slave catchers, gamblers, white people, and the aura of danger for African Americans during a treacherous time in American history.