Miss Jane Pittman is the main character in the book. Her many different trials in life made her a very strong person. She managed through slavery, raising a child, the Depression and many other challenges. She was a leader in her time and helped groom younger people to be leaders too. Through her age and wisdom she was very inspirational and helped to lead, even in her old age, a movement against segregation.

Ned Douglass was raised by Jane. He was always thinking of his real mother who was brutally killed by Patrollers. This horrid memory haunted Ned and forced him to become a leader in his time. Thinking of how his mother died and not wanting her to die in vain is what impelled him to stand up for the rights he and his race deserved.

 Joe Pittman was Jane’s true love. He was a wonderful man. He worked very hard to get where he was in life. He even became the Chief Breaker of horses and earned the respect of all the people in the plantation. Jane loved him very much. He died doing what he was meant to do.

 Albert Cluveau was a man who prided himself on killing people. He constantly boasted about his killings. When he was told he had to kill Ned his story changed. He was friends with Jane and did not want to hurt her but was forced to go against these thoughts. After he killed Ned Jane told him the Chariot of Hell would come for him. Albert was scared by this until he did die ten years after Ned’s death.

Tee Bob was a friend of Jane’s. She knew him since he was a child and he had always thought of her fondly. He unfortunately fell in love with a woman that his family did not approve of. When he realized that she was to smart to love him in return he took his own life. It was society’s unfair rules that drove him to death.

 Mary Agnes LeFabre was a teacher in the church at Samson. Tee Bob fell in love with her. Mary was part black so the relationship could never work. She said that she did not love Tee Bob like he loved her but I think maybe deep down inside she might have.

 Jimmy was a leader before he could even talk. The people had already chosen him as the One. He was even raised different than the other children. He found religion at the age of thirteen but the church would not back him when he needed their support. He wanted people to understand that they were equals to whites and stand up for this.

 Robert Samson was the owner of the plantation. The people respected him. When he said there was to be no demonstrating the people listened for the most part. They knew the consequences and knew he would not make any exceptions. He was a kind man.

- The Secesh Army came by and Ticey hauled water to them.

- The Yankees came by for water.

- Corporal Brown renamed Ticey Miss Jane Brown after his little girl in Ohio.

- The mistress got mad and put her to work in the fields.

- One year after that all the slaves were called from the fields and the master announced that they were free.

- They had to decide whether to stay and work for the master of leave.

- Jane was going to Ohio to find Corporal Brown with a group of others who were headed north.

- Big Laura took the lead.

- The people fought over new names. A slow-wit tried to name himself Brown but Jane and Big Laura stopped him.

- They walked late into the night before sleeping. They were woken by Patrollers and even though they hid in the bushes most of them were killed or severely injured. Big Laura was killed along with her daughter so Jane took her son Ned with her on her way.

- They came up to a group of people. The white lady gave them food and told them the only way to cross the river was a ferry.

- A man in a black suit let the kids ride the ferry with him. Then he took them to a house.

- Sarah showed them where to sleep, fed them and gave them a bath.

- They left the house the next day for Ohio.

- Two men told Jane that Mr. Brown was in a nearby building. It was not the same Mr. Brown that she was looking for so they continued for Ohio.

- They came upon a man who let them eat with them. He was looking for his father. He told them to go back to where they came from. When the kids woke up he was gone but he had left them breakfast. The kept going toward Ohio.

- They came upon a house where a nice, old, white man gave them food. He showed Jane on the map that she should be heading East to reach Ohio not North.

- He tried to convince Jane not to leave but she would not hear of it and set out once more for Ohio.

- A man named Job let the kids ride in his wagon.

- He took the to his house and after hours of fussing by his wife they were allowed to sleep in the crib and Job gave them cornbread to eat.

- The next day Job said he was taking them to a friend named Bone.

- Bone let Jane work for six dollars a month and it cost her fifty cents to send Ned to school. After a month she had proved herself and Bone paid her ten dollars a month like all the other women.

- They had a school with a nice teacher.

- He came to eat with Jane and Ned. Ned borrowed a plate from the house for the teacher to eat off of. For the first time Jane thought of Ned as her own.

- A politician came and took the black people to see a black Democrat at work.

- Fighting broke out and Jane, Ned and lots of others hid under the platform until it was over.

- The Secesh now owned the land where they lived. Jane decided to stay. The new owner was Colonel Eugene I. Dye. It was almost like slavery times again.

- People began to leave and the old master’s started to worry.

- Ned joined a group that went around to see how the colored people were treated. He changed his name to Ned Douglass. He wanted to be a great leader like Frederick Douglass.

- Eight or nine men dressed in sheets came looking for Ned. They turned everything over, slapped Jane, and left on their horses.

- Ned had to leave so he wouldn’t be killed. Jane stayed behind, she belonged where she was. They did what was best even though it was difficult.

- Jane and Joe Pittman started seeing each other. He asked her to marry him. They decided to just live together but she took on his name and raised his two girls.

- Joe wanted to move but Jane wouldn’t leave until she heard from Ned.

- Some white people liked Ned and agreed to pay for his schooling. After school he was given a teaching job.

- Joe owed the colonel one hundred and fifty dollars for saving him from the KKK. He borrowed the money from Mr. Clyde, where they were going to move to.

- It took them ten days to get to Mr. Clyde’s place. Jane was to work in the house.

- Molly told Jane she didn’t need any help but the family loved Molly and didn’t want her to have to do all of the work so Jane was to help with the children.

- Molly felt like she was being replaced so she left to work in Deritter. Miss Clare was very upset. Jane tried to quit so Molly could have the job but the family wouldn’t let her.

- Molly died four or five years later, Jane was sure it was of a broken heart.

- Joe was Chief Breaker of horses. This scared Jane and she started having dreams about his death.

- A new horse came. It was the horse in Jane’s dream Joe would not hear of not breaking it.

- Jane went to see the hoo-doo, Madame Gautier. She said Joe rides to prove he is a man and the horse was going to kill him. She gave Jane a potion to keep him in bed.

- Jane snuck out Saturday morning before she used the potion and tried to let the stallion go. Joe came and chased after the stallion on his own horse. He cornered and roped the stallion but with no saddle to tie it to the stallion took off. They found Joe tangled in the rope, dead.

- Gable rode the stallion until it didn’t throw him off any more. Gable and Ella, Joe’s daughter, got married and took his other daughter, Clara, with them to Texas.

- Jane met a fisherman named Felton Burkes. She moved to St. Charles River and lived with him for three years. One day he left without a word never to be seen again.

- Ned showed up with his family.

- His wife’s name was Vivian. His children’s names were Jane, Laura and Tee Man. The girls were named after Jane and his real mom Big Laura. Tee Man was a junior.

- Ned came back to teach.

- Albert Cluveau killed people for a living. He said that people had been talking and they didn’t want Ned to build the school and stir up trouble. They wanted Albert to kill Ned but Ned would not leave.

- Ned gathered the people at the river. He gave a wonderful speech. When it was over he told Jane he was going to die, but he was not scared.

- A month passed and no sign of Albert.

- Ned went with Bam and Alcee to get wood for his school on the way home with the second load Albert shot him.

- They had stopped the mules for a rest when they saw Albert. Ned told Bam to go home and finish the school. He jumped from the wagon and ran at Albert. When he refused to get down on his knees Albert shot him twice. Bam and Alcee put Ned on top of the lumber which turned red with his blood and stayed that way for years and years.

- People who didn’t come around Ned when he was living and everybody else cried for him. Vivian was shocked but Jane knew Ned was dead before anyone told her.

- The sheriff questioned Bam and Alcee.

- Vivian stayed until they finished building Ned’s school and then took the kids back to Kansas. High water destroyed the school in ‘27.

- Jane went looking for Albert but his daughter Adeline always said he has just left. She finally met up with him and told him that when the Chariot of Hell came for him people would hear his screams all over the parish.

- People said Jane had gone to a hoo-doo and Albert believed them. He thought the Chariot of Hell was coming for him. He slept with his two daughters and beat Adeline for having the chariot on her side of the bed.

- He didn’t die for ten years. All of his other children left him but poor Adeline stayed. He screamed until he died.

- Hattie Jordan talked Jane into moving to Samson.

- Katie Nelson challenged Black Harriet the Queen of the field to a picking contest.

- Katie started to catch Harriet and the Queen began to chop down cotton instead of weeds. Tom Joe beat her, they took her to Jackson, and Katie was fired.

- Jane joined the church. The Lord came to her and told her to get rid of her load she just had to take it across the river. After many trials Jane made it.

- Timmy and Tee Bob were half brothers. Timmy was Robert Samson’s boy. Tee Bob liked Jane.

- Jane was to cook at the house.

- Timmy put Jane on a horse, then hit it and it took off running. Jane was not hurt.

- Tee Bob got thrown off a horse and broke his arm. Tom Joe asked what happened and when Timmy told him he knocked him down because he hated the Samson in him.

- He beat Timmy with a pole until he was unconscious. Robert sent Timmy away.

- Miss Lilly was the first teacher at the church. She made the kids come to school and bought them all toothbrushes.

- Miss Lilly left and Joe Hardy came. He asked the people for money and messed with the girls.

- He was tied to a tree by Marshall and when he was released no one ever heard from him again.

- A year and a half later Mary Agnes LeFabre came to teach.

- Sappho and Claudee went to a Creole dance. The people surrounded the two and when they found out the two did not know any body the people went to fetch plow lines. Sappho and Claudee ran away.

- When Clarence Samson died all the people had to go and view the body.

- Mary Agnes brought the children. This was the first time Tee Bob saw her.

- He came back from school every weekend to see her. She told Jane she had no interest in him.

- Tee Bob loved Mary Agnes and would go against his family for her.

- He told Jimmy Caya that he loved Mary Agnes. Jimmy told him he could not love her. Tee Bob hit Jimmy.

- When they arrived at the party for Tee Bob and Judy the two went and had drinks. Before Jimmy left to go and change his shirt Tee Bob raised his glass to him. Tee Bob was not apologizing for hitting Jimmy he was saying good-bye.

- Tee Bob left the house and went to see Mary Agnes. He wanted to marry her. She said she could not and was going to leave him there with nothing to go to New Orleans.

- Clamp saw Tee Bob running from her house. He found Mary Agnes laying on the floor of her house.

- Ida went to see her and she was still alive.

- Tee Bob went to the house and locked himself in the library.

- Clamp told the people what happened. They got an ax for Robert who chopped a hole in the library door and went in.

- Tee Bob was sitting in the chair, a letter opener laid on the floor, and a letter was on the desk.

- They covered him with a sheet. The letter they found was to his mom. It said he had to find peace and couldn’t find it there. It also said the girl was innocent.

- Jimmy came in he said he had warned Tee Bob. He knew Tee Bob had killed himself because Mary Agnes knew better than to love him back.

- Jules said he was going to accuse Robert of murder. They were all responsible for the death.

- Sam Guidry came. He talked to Mary Agnes. Tee Bob had not raped her he just swung her across the room and made her fall down.

- Guidry told Mary Agnes to go to New Orleans.

- Jules said it was the set of rules all people had made about whites and blacks that killed Tee Bob. He died for their sins.

- People were looking for a leader when Jimmy was born. They all wondered if he was the One. Then they just made him the One.

- Jane wanted to move to the quarters to watch Jimmy. He sat and listened to Jane and Lena talk. At the age of six he could count to one hundred and say his ABC’s.

- Jimmy read the newspaper and Bible and wrote letters for people on the plantation.

- Jimmy stayed in New Orleans one summer and Coon had to read and write for them. He didn’t lift their spirits like Jimmy had.

- Robert sold the place to sharecroppers. People began moving away.

- Jimmy noticed the place changing and heard about the war.

- Jimmy tried to throw Eva down and got a switching for it. Then he tried again in the loft. He got another switching but no one cared if Eva did or not.

- The people wanted him to get religion his twelfth year but he didn’t.

- Finally in August of his thirteenth year he got it. He was baptized but didn’t want to preach.

- Jimmy traveled all over the parish with Olivia Antoine. She bought the old people’s groceries along with other things.

- He told Jane he had something gnawing at his chest. This was his wanting to help.

- He went to school in New Orleans and when he came back he didn’t care about the church.

- Robert called the people together to tell them there was to be no demonstrating and if anybody needed more freedom they could leave.

- Yoko’s child Batlo demonstrated and Robert told Yoko she had twenty-four hours to leave.

- She died one year after she moved.

- Jimmy showed up and talked to the church about following Martin Luther King Jr.’s lead. The church was too old to help him so he apologized for disrupting the church.

- Jimmy and another boy stopped by to thank Jane for standing up for him at the church.

- She told Jimmy to talk to the people. He asked her to help, to come with them, to inspire people.

- They had picked out a girl to drink out of the white people’s fountain. She would be arrested that Friday and they would march on the courthouse the next Monday.

- Mary told Jane she couldn’t go but Jane was going anyway.

- People didn’t understand what Jimmy was talking about. They had been told too long that they were no better than mules and it would take time to lift this veil.

- Brady came to talk to Jane. He was scared to go Monday. He didn’t want to get kicked off his land.

- Lena came to talk to Jane. She was going Monday too. She thought Jimmy was going to be killed. Olivia would take them.

- Mary went too, to look after Jane. That morning they both felt death in the air.

- Etienne joined the girls and as they walked more and more people followed.

- Robert drove up. He told them Jimmy had been shot at eight o’clock that morning.

- The people wanted to go to Bayonne anyway only a little piece of Jimmy had died.

- Olivia gave them ten dollars for bus fare and said she would join them later.

- Jane and Robert looked at each other a long time and then she went by him.