First-time novelist LeBlanc has created a saga of the birth of the blues. In 1930s Louisiana, Phillip Fergerson's plans to become a doctor end when he falls for the beautiful light-skinned Martha. After marriage, they struggle to raise their children in a prejudiced world, forming different ideas of where they belong in society.Enter Martha's brother, Lightfoot. As he plays his harmonica in the juke joints, he witnesses the birth of the blues and joins in its creation. Living legends, from Leadbelly to Robert Johnson, appear in the narrative, which is as spellbinding as a soulful song on an old guitar. To Martha's shame, Lightfoot tempts Phillip and the children with musical expressions of their emotions. All the characters must choose between society's rules or their need to follow their hearts.