Viola Knapp Ruffner was a woman who left home early to support her family, bravely traveling alone to teaching positions in the pre-Civil War north and south. Her quest to uphold her mother's dying wishes leads her through challenges that end in traumas and distort her hopes for contentment and happiness. After the war, she hired a young, emancipated boy, Booker T. Washington, and taught him to read and write. Over time her post-traumatic stress is appeased, societal norms challenged, and a friendship forged that spanned decades. This is her story and the factor she played on this man who became a nineteenth century leader.