The year is 1907. A mammoth tornado passing through Princeton, Mississippi, takes away Jake MacGregor's parents and their home, his beloved uncle, and his sister's home. He inherits a mercantile store in Taylorsburg, Mississippi, and an underdeveloped farm nearby. With his hopes of attending the new school of pharmacy scheduled to open at Ole Miss dashed, how can Jake overcome his frustration?

Three years prior, a new railroad, which bypassed old Taylorsburg, caused the town to dry up and move five miles to the southwest, where the railroad crossed the Hastabucha River. Caroline Clemons, a teacher in the lower elementary grades, has her dream fulfilled - a new school constructed in the new town.

But in the year 1907, Caroline receives a wound that refuses to heal. Will she have enough resilience to embrace life? Caroline suffers hideous attacks on her physical and emotional integrity. At the expense of losing all that can bring her happiness, she guards her family's secrets.

Social issues of racial discord, abuse, inadequate education, and prohibition dominate the scene of Mississippi in the early 1900s. Come shop at the mercantile and share supper at the Covington Hotel dining room. Become acquainted with extraordinary people living in a troubled time. Experience their fear, courage, pain, and simple joys.

Discover how it feels when prayer and laughter are the only effective coping mechanisms.