Calhoun was born a "true son of the Deep South", came of age during the Great Depression, learned to plow a mule, became an astute observer of, and participant in, race relations in the 40's and 50's, was almost a moonshiner, lived as a share-cropper, and married the girl his dreams. The latter part of the book has to do with the situations and people he met in his various jobs, mainly with his railroad days. It's a wonder he's around to relate all these tales!