After the author heard Jimmy Driftwood's ballad "Tennessee stud" he began to imagine the story behind the lyrics and set out to research the song's history: a story of the legendary exploits of the greatest horse that ever lived and his owner. Traveling the same route that the song chronicles, he invented characters along the way. The resulting novel captures the spirit of the ballad while telling the story of Robert Johnson, a man who holds love in his heart though adventure rules his time. Pursued by a bounty hunter, Indians, and his conscience, Johnson and his horse are tested, strengthened, and made resolute.