An African-American family struggles to retain their heritage, in the form of a history told in the carvings on the family piano. Boy Willie wants to sell the piano and use the money to buy farmland, but sister Berniece won't part with it.

1930's Pittsburgh, a brother comes home to claim "my half of the piano", a family heirloom; but his sister is not wanting to part with it. This is a glimpse of the conditions for African-Americans as well as some of the attitudes and influences on their lives. But whether he is able to sell the piano so that he can get enough money to buy some property and "no longer have to work for someone else" involves the story (or lesson) that the piano has to show him.—BOB STEBBINS <[email protected]>