Born in Chicago at the tail end of World War II, Robert McDonald came up in a world where people heated their apartments with coal, bought sandwiches for a nickel, and accepted segregation as a way of life. As he grew to manhood, he witnessed extraordinary changes in the fabric of that world. He also discovered that those above him still seemed to have a vested interest in keeping him down. "These Vagabond Shoes" chronicles the struggles of a man who tries to do right by the people he cares about while keeping his own head above water. McDonald's reminiscences offer us a unique glimpse at the America few people talk about.