An in-depth look at the man who journeyed from the land of dirt roads, magnolias and majestic oak trees to the big city of San Francisco and back again. Ernest J. Gaines received national acclaim as the author of The Autobiography of Miss Jane Pittman, A Gathering of Old Men, and My Father's House. Old photographs illustrate what family members remember about Gaines' childhood and his career. Couple that with the reminiscences of Ernest J. Gaines himself, comments from other writers and scholars, and passages from his books, and you'll find yourself in the South of long ago.