Fleeing persecution in Poland, a young Jewish family settles in England, where two brothers begin work in a cigarette factory. Enduring poverty and scant support from their father after their mother dies, the brothers decide to take matters into their own hands and set sail for Africa.
It is 1891 when Morris and David, both young teenagers, arrive in Port Elizabeth, South Africa. With neither family nor friends, they decide to try their hands in the cigarette business, the only thing they know. They befriend Nguni, a large and well-muscled man of the Xhosa tribe, who leads them into the African bush to find a tobacco farming community and offers protection from the dangers of wild animals that they never even knew existed.
With the solid grounding their parents instilled in them during their upbringing, the boys learn to adapt and accept Africa's ways, her people, and her cultures. Taking on a life filled with danger, mystery and strange customs is one thing, but can they take on an international corporation and survive?
This book is based on a true story.