Content Warning: This section of the guide contains descriptions of enslavement, abuse, death, and the forced separation of families.

The novel is narrated in the first person and the past tense by the 11-year-old protagonist, Samuel. He says that trouble always follows him; he was born enslaved, like his mother before him and her mother before that. When Samuel was a baby, his mother was sold away, and two elderly enslaved people named Lilly and Harrison have raised Samuel ever since. One day, Harrison decides to run away and take Samuel with him.

The narration flashes back to September of 1859, before Samuel and Harrison run away. On this day, Samuel is clearing the dinner table and breaks a plate. Seth, the son of the plantation owner, Mr. Hackler, trips Samuel to make him break the plate. Seth doesn’t get in trouble, but Samuel does. Mr. Hackler’s wife, Miz Catherine, throws a fork at Samuel’s chin, and Lilly fusses at him to be more careful and stop causing trouble for her. Lilly gets a dollar each Christmas, so she gives up most of her savings to replace the plate that Samuel broke.