The novel begins with the introduction of the characters, Marguerite (aka Maya Angelou) and Bailey Jr. Johnson, and their current whereabouts and destinations. Marguerite and Bailey Jr. Johnson are the children of Vivian Baxter Johnson and Bailey Johnson. Their parents had divorced while they were young and as a result, their father, Bailey Johnson, had made the decision to send the two from the warm and wonderful conditions of California to their grandmother in Stamps, Arkansas. They traveled across the country on a train with only the assistance of the porter (who shortly decided to stay in Arizona and leave them on the train). They were given cold fried chicken and other food items on that train as passengers felt sorry for them. They had
