The first part of the story tells of Muhammad Bilal, who is also called Hammad by his descendants (though he doesn't know it!). Muhammad is eleven years old when he is captured by slave catchers. As revealed later in the story, Muhammad was fighting a lion (Simba) when the slave catchers came. They caught him after he had killed the lion and was on the ground, exhausted. The slave catchers were of the same race as Muhammad. They were not white.
The story starts when Muhammad is on the crowded slave ship. He is shackled. The shackles reappear later in the book as well. The chapter describes a man with a dry throat and the dust on the ship. The place where Muhammad is sent to is Curry Island.
March 1864, Live Oaks Plantation, Curry Island, South Carolina
Things jump almost 100 years to Lizzy Lewis, a slave who works on the Live Oaks Plantation. She is probably fourteen. She is related to the Lewises by marriage (the slaves take the last name of their owner). Lizzy lives withMoses and Saran. Moses is the great-grandson of Muhammad.
Moses' brother, Joshua, has escaped. Joshua is married to Neela, who is owned by Foster. Neela and Joshua were married secretly, because Foster wanted to split the children, though Lewis did not. When Joshua find out that Foster is going to be selling some slaves, he figures Neela will be sold and runs away in advance.
Moses' son and Joshua's nephew, Lem Lewis, has also escaped. Lem is recaptured during this chapter and is tied to a tree in the forest, like a bait. The bait is supposed to catch Joshua, as Joshua will probably try and free Lem. However, it is Lizzy who goes to Lem during the night--she sneaks out to bring him water. However, Joe Haynes, the overseer, catches her. In the forest, Lizzy is beaten, Joshua comes to rescue Lizzy and Lem, and then Lizzy runs away with Lem. The chapter ends semi-abruptly, with Lizzy having run away. Lizzy later marries Richard, Lem's brother. It is in this section that the Glory Field gets its name, as Moses shouted "Oh, Glory!" while on the land.
April 1900, Live Oaks Plantation, Curry Island, South Carolina
About 30 years have passed, and Lizzy andRichard Lewis' child, Elijah, is the protagonist. Moses and Saran now have 8 acres of land bordering Live Oaks, but their not being able to pay taxes is a problem, and they worry about losing their land. Suddenly, a blind boy, David Turner, is lost when on a trip with Foster. Hamlin Turner, David's wealthy father, offers 35 dollars for someone to find David. Elijah and his cousin Abbyvolunteer to get the money, and Elijah is confident he will be able to find David, as he knows the whole place well. Sheriff Gloveralso volunteers to go with Elijah and Abby, so they head off. Elijah originally steers towardKey Island, where he thinks David is, but once on the island, he realizes that it is not Key Island. However, Elijah finds David and Foster, who is holding on to David. Foster has a broken leg. Elijah calls Sheriff Glover over (Abby is keeping the boat anchored). They get successfully back to Curry Island, but Sheriff Glover gets all the credit and is in the newspaper, where Elijah's name is not mentioned. However, Elijah does actually get 35 dollars later, because Hamlin says that his boy is more important than any amount of money. Elijah gives the money to Saran and Moses, who call it "stuck money", which is money that sticks in a black person's hand for more than two minutes, instead of money that a slaveowner gives then takes right back after making some "calculations" on a pad. A new man in town, Frank Petty, wants to borrow Elijah's boat, the Pele Queen. Elijah tells him no. Drunk and armed with his fellow drunk friends, Frank Petty plans on beating Elijah that night. However, Sheriff Glover comes by Elijah's house and warns the family. With 17 dollars in his pocket which Saran and Moses pushed upon him, Elijah goes up north to Chicago and stay withJoshua Lewis. He brings the shackles. Later,Goldie Paige, Elijah's girlfriend, goes up to Chicago, and they get married.
