tells the story of Steve Langly, a shy and ignorant Kentucky mountain boy. Steve has never read a book and has had no formal education. But, he chances to meet a flatlander, one Mr. Polk, who enrolls Steve in a residential school. Despite many obstacles, Steve completes high school and college, after which he returns to run the mountain school that gave him his start. His success in life is assured when he discovers a large plot of land that contains a sizable deposit of coal.