In this his first book for young adults, Walter Mosley tells the story of 47, a young plantation slave, who encounters a mysterious runaway: Tall John, part trickster, part African deity, part extraterrestrial, who acts as his mentor to the barbaric world through which he must navigate a path to freedom. This is a gripping and tense story, mixing laconic humour, brutal realities, and elements of fable, mediated through the engaging first person narration of 47 himself.