Hiram grew up in the Mississippi delta, in the town of Money. Born right before the Second World War, Hiram stayed with his grandparents while his father went to fight, and then remained there when, upon his demobilization, he headed north to learn how to become a teacher. Hiram's father and his grandfather never saw eye to eye about the value of the culture in the Mississippi delta, and Hiram never understood why they couldn't get along.
The family eventually moved to Arizona, and for years Hiram dreamt of returning to Money. But every year his father would say no. In 1955, his grandfather had a heart attack, so his father reluctantly agreed to let Hiram, now sixteen, return to Money for the summer to help out. Having been gone for almost a decade, Hiram noticed that things had not changed much in the delta. The landmarks were the same, the people were the same. But then he began to notice that African-Americans were still being berated and oppressed.
That summer, Hiram reconnected with R.C., an acquaintance, and his sister Naomi, whom Hiram liked. He also met Emmett Till, an African-American boy from Chicago spending his summer here. Hiram thought nothing of talking with the boy, but R.C. had a fit and almost beat Emmett to death. When Emmett was accused of touching a White woman, R.C. made threats, and Hiram reported them to the sheriff. When Emmett went missing, and was eventually found dead, Hiram was questioned by the sheriff on the role R.C. might have played.
Hiram was cited as a witness, and attended court with his grandfather, but was never called to testify. Though the two men who had killed Emmett were identified, a third remained at large, and Hiram worried it was R.C. When he learned that his grandfather was involved, Hiram suddenly understood why his father and his own father were estranged. For Hiram, this revelation changed his life, as he learned that doing the right thing can sometimes end friendships, or even family relations.
