Book excerpt: The Reverend W.O. Stone was a force to contend with. When he and his family moved to Bemis, a small mill town south of Jackson, Tennessee, they knew that they were entering a community divided by history, by hatred, by race, and by stubborn Southern tradition. But Reverend Stonea man of great and profound faithreached out, risked everything, and did his part to forge a brighter future for his community by confronting the harsh realities of racism and segregation. There, Reverend Stone and his wife raised five children amid dark and dangerous times in American history. As told through the eyes and memory of his middle child, Virginia, Hands on the Railing provides an intimate and personal glimpse into the lives of this brave and forward-thinking man and the people he loved, worked with, and prayed for. He survived the ugliest moments of a time when violence ruled the day, including the burning of a church, attacks on his dignity and person, and many unkind words along the way. Disillusioned by the seedy side of Southern pride and ignorance, his faith was sorely tested. But through experience and by the power of faith on bended knee, the good reverend struggled to find the strength, courage, and wisdom to confront the many demons in his life, both within and without. Through it all, W.O. was a spellbinding preacher, a loving husband, and a good father, a man who made his mark in the world with dignity, faith, and honor.