Named after a well-known Civil War general, Joseph Palmer Hopkins is the youngest of fourteen children. He is entering manhood while living deep in the rural Tennessee farmlands during the Great Depression. As the 1930s come to a close, Palmer's life changes when he decides to move to the big city of Memphis to care for his sickly brother, Marvin, as he begins attending teacher's college. Needing to find work to help support his family back home, Palmer secures a job as a driver with the Memphis Street Railway as well as a rental house, a car, and a Baptist church to attend. One October day as he is about to close the doors of his streetcar, an attractive lady climbs aboard, finds a seat, and quickly captures his heart. A farm girl with a better education than Palmer, May Whicker has already accomplished much in her life. As a romance blooms, a world war looms on the horizon. Will Palmer and May's love survive the trials ahead? In this historical novel, a Tennessee farm boy with a third-grade education must navigate through difficult times in American history while searching for love and success in the big city and beyond.