Plot summary
The Logan family goes through hard times trying to raise their children the correct way. T.J. Avery, Stacey's friend, is accused of murdering a white man, Jim Lee Barnett. Although he is innocent, he is tried by an all-white jury and convicted. Stacey does everything in his power to help his friend, but in the end, T.J. is sentenced to death. A man makes a file to join blacks and whites together so the cotton fields can be shared. The union does not succeed and the man who wanted to start it is beaten. Some people are told that they need to pull up the acres that were already planted because they planted too much. The plantation owners lied, claiming the government ordered it, but the plantation owners did it in order to receive money that was supposed to go to the sharecroppers. Mama's cousin Bud's daughter Suzella, who has a black father and a white mother, lives with the Logans. Suzella is venerated for being attractive and mixed, making her seem like a prize to all the males in the town because she is technically black and therefore accessible, but still has the lighter skin, hair, and eyes; she can be assumed as white. Suzella struggles with identity issues that put a strain on her relationships with others. She catches the eye of Stuart Walker, a white boy who flirts with pretty colored girls to start trouble. When Stuart approaches her he genuinely respects her, assuming she is white. This takes a great toll on Stacey; he believes he must take care of his family before they lose their land. He and his best friend Moe run away to a sugarcane field to work. With the help of Mr. Jamison, a white lawyer who is kind and fair to black people, Mama, Papa and Caroline Logan (Big Ma) contact police stations in the next couple of towns. They address the letters in Mr. Jamison's name so that when the sheriffs receive the letters they will respond. Mr. Jamison says that if they see a black family name on the letters they probably will not respond. Seven months later, they find Stacey several hours away, jailed in a small town in Louisiana. Stacey and Moe were accused of stealing which put them in jail, where they became ill. While Stacey was at the cane field a pole rolled over his foot and broke it. Before they drive home, they stop by the house of a lady who took care of Stacey and Moe while they were in jail and thank her. They stay the night there and the next morning return home.Characters
The Logan Family
*Cassie Logan: A strong-willed girl willing to fight for anything she believes in. The story takes place from her point of view. She is mainly a tomboy who learns valuable life lessons from her father, grandmother, and Stacey. Cassie is ten and in fifth grade. *Stacey Logan: He is a 13-year-old boy and gives plenty of advice. He is also portrayed as strong-minded and loving towards his family. The reason why he leaves home is that he is trying to get a job at the cane fields in Louisiana to earn extra money for the family. He is the son of Mary and David Logan (Mama and Papa). Stacey also feels that it is his responsibility to take care of the family; he has grown up and has become more emotional and territorial towards his family, which is why he goes for the job in Louisiana. *Christopher-John Logan: Stacey and Cassie's second younger brother. Christopher-John is notorious for being a rule follower and doesn't like going against the family's decisions and getting himself in trouble. *Little Man Logan (Clayton Chester): Stacey and Cassie's youngest brother. He is very neat and tidy and does not like to be discriminated against even though he does not understand what that is at his young age. *David Logan: The father of the Logan children, known as Papa. He worked on the railroad and tries to teach his children life lessons in hopes of keeping them get out of trouble. *Mary Logan: The mother in the Logan family. She used to be a school teacher, but now she organizes groups to change society. Mary is Cousin Bud's aunt, but Cousin Bud is more like her brother since Bud is three years older than she is, and they grew up together. *Caroline "Big Ma" Logan: She is the mother of David and Hammer Logan and the grandmother of the Logan children. She is portrayed as a strong and good-natured woman. Caroline Logan has influenced Cassie Logan growing up by passing on the family stories and history to her. She helps many people who are sick and those who have been treated badly by white people. She is very religious and has passed her views to Cassie. Caroline Logan is otherwise known as Big Ma. She is the mother-in-law of Mary Logan, mother of David, and Hammer Logan. Last but not least, she is the grandmother of Stacey, Cassie, Christopher-John, and of course, Little Man. *Uncle Hammer: David Logan's older brother and Cassie's uncle. He moved to Chicago before the Logan saga because of the racism in Mississippi. He is portrayed as having a hair-trigger temper, which is something a black man "isn't allowed to have" in the Depression-era South. He provided financial assistance to the rest of the family several times (which they secretly appreciate).Other characters
*Suzella Rankin: Cousin of the Logan family children. She's an attractive light-skinned girl who initially accepts the advances of white young men, but is later found to be black, with embarrassing consequences. *T.J. Avery: A friend of the Logan children. He gets put on trial for a murder committed by the Simms brothers but is still convicted for the murder, even though Mr. Jamison gave solid evidence that R.W. and Melvin Simms committed the murder. He gets sentenced to death. He is responsible for making Mama lose her job in the previous book ''References