When James Alan Cole witnesses a fleeing murderer, his life becomes filled with turmoil and fear that only subsides when he discovers honor and courage in the face of injustice. Eleven-year-old James Alan Cole is a preacher's kid, but that is not what makes him different from anyone else. What makes him different is his desire to "do the right thing," but his integrity is sorely tested when he disobeys his father's instructions never to go near the dangerous river located a half mile away. When James Alan is the lone witness to a fleeing murderer, he knows he dare not say anything. Now he is inadvertently responsible for the arrest and eminent execution of an innocent man because being at the wrong place at the wrong time is enough to convict a black man in 1960s Mississippi. James Alan knows the truth, and he must deal with his own fears in order to discover the honor and courage that lies within.