The Jacob Ladder

Synopsis

Twelve-year-old Tall T's life has just turned upside down. His father suddenly leaves the family after drinking a bowl of bewitched soup given him by the obeah woman who lives next door. With his father no longer with them, Tall T must be head of the house and help his mother take care of his five brothers and sisters. But earning money isn't easy in a small Jamaican town. How can Tall T go to school and earn money at the same time? His mother tells him he must be like Jacob in the Bible -- Jacob who dreamed of miracles -- and Tall will need a miracle if he is to help his family survive. Luckily for him, miracles can come in unexpected forms.

After his father leaves their family, twelve-year-old Uton Hinds, known as Tall T, tries to earn extra money in his Jamaican village and tries to further his education as he ponders how he feels about his father's behavior.