Will Henry — J.R. Biery

A farm boy must work as a railroad man to save his family in depression era Tennessee, even if it means giving up his own dreams. When his father leaves the family (four children and a pregnant wife) to find work up north, Will has to abandon school and his boyhood dreams. Mistaken for a man, the boy finds himself working on a train shoveling coal and earning a steady check. Clever and resourceful, Will jumps at every opportunity, collecting the discards around him to earn money and feed the family. When his mother is hospitalized it means their farm is suddenly at stake. Each day he faces the fear of discovery and losing his job, a job they need more than ever. Will never loses faith or falters. Through it all, he dreams of being more, of returning to school and someday being a real monopoly king.