The book is based on the life of a real person, Norvell Jamison. He was born in 1892 to the son of former slaves. He grew up in the violent and racially impoverished South under the harsh Jim Crow laws.
After witnessing an incident where a young boy is brutally beaten to death, Norvell is traumatized for life. He grows up to be a quick tempered, 6-foot 7 inch, 350 pound ultra-violent whirlwind of destruction whose blood thirsty path leads him to fight in WWI.
After the war, Norvell travels the world seeking adventure. This path takes him to the Belgian Congo, to an encounter that will transform his life forever by taking him on a bloody path of destruction.