"Mighty, muddy, dangerous, rebellious and yet a strong, fathering kind of river. The river captured my imagination when I was young and has never let go." Eddy Harris took a canoe voyage down the Mississippi from Minnesota to the Gulf of Mexico—from "where there ain't no black folks to where they still don't like us much"—on a 2,000-mile journey through the heart of America. Contending with the dangers of barges, wild dogs, and armed bigots, Harris also finds friendship and hospitality, as well as coming to know the majestic power of the river itself.

"A wonderful book—and a highly original contribution to the literature of travel."—Paul Theroux