Summary

When Francis Jr. first arrives in Detroit in the summer of 1944, he does so with a generic introduction to a pastor he’s never met, $15, a single pair of shoes and one small bag. He had already opened the letter on the train and was disappointed to see how little Reverend Tufts had done to actually help him. The letter doesn’t suggest he would be worthy of apprenticeship, but instead simply asks that this member of his flock be assisted to find housing and employment. His pride prevents him from going to the church, and instead he asks strangers for advice on where to go for housing and work.

Francis Jr. comes by his pride honestly. His father, Francis Sr. had died as a result of a rusty nail puncture on his foot. Two years later, his...