Knowing that her death is near, Granny Hawk teaches her great-grandson, Timothy Larue, a Choctaw breed, that he is marked by his birthmark to be smarter and stronger than others. Aware of the prejudices of their small farm community, she assures him that her death will not separate them and that her spirit will always be there for him. After her death, Timothy receives an unexpected guardian who leads him on a tumultuous path during his early years, but Grannyas teaching allows him to persevere. His anchor in bad times is his dog, Peanut, and his private world is on a limb high up in a thick-leafed tree overlooking the James River. Granny leaves something in her treasure box that he is to read when he is older, but when the time comes he is not prepared for the dark secret it reveals. It changes his world and sets him on a challenging quest.