This book tells the story of Dr. John Henry Jordan, the first black doctor in Coweta County, Georgia. He was also the author's great-grandfather.
Doctor John Henry Jordan's life begins humbly, but he learns not to eschew small beginnings. However, it is his relationship with his father, Berry, a Georgia sharecropper, that is a constant source of contention. When John decides at a young age that he wants to become a doctor, Berry could not be more disappointed. He does everything in his power to dissuade John, believing that the only way a black man can make a living for himself is by working in the fields.
Against his father's wishes, John embarks on a medical school career, leaving his home state of Georgia to attend medical school in Tennessee, graduating in 1896 as valedictorian of his class. After graduation, his heart leads him back to Georgia where he marries, Mollie Ramsey. She is from the same hometown and a daughter of the first black doctor in Troup County, Georgia. John's career thrives, but he is perpetually haunted by the memory of the loss of his most important patient and wonders whether he will be able to create a legacy that will endure for generations to come..