One Gone

Tragedy and trauma often create human hardship. Such is the case for Jasper Henry Lee. Born in Mississippi in 1910 and known to his friends and family as Henry, he loses his right arm in a farming accident in 1943, an event that changes his life forever. The views and attitudes of his family, the medical community, farmers, and others on his state as an amputee affect his health both physically and mentally. A few people believe Henry is no longer a complete man capable of operating a farm-responses that strike a blow to his self-confidence. From early childhood, he has been raised as the only male heir to the plantation; it is his duty to continue the farm and build success. What Henry has, however, is an old, somewhat dilapidated plantation that barely survived the hardships of the Civil War, the Great Depression, and, of course, the arrival of the cotton boll weevil. In spite of this, the Lee farm holds history and potential. Can Henry adapt to changing times and new technologies in order to keep his family's dream alive? This biographical novel tells the story of one man's adjustment after a tragic accident and how the love and commitment in his marriage kept him going in the face of adversity.