Like Tuesdays with Morrie, in which Mitch Albom gleans wisdom from his mentor, Finding the Good is the story of Fred Montgomery and his influence on Lucas Johnson, a young reporter who learns of the transforming power of faith and love. Here is a powerful story of a 20th century slave who rose to the rank of mayor and the young man whose life he touched.

Fred Montgomery, the son of sharecroppers in west Tennessee, and boyhood friend of Alex Haley, grew up in poverty, but had a faith and confidence instilled in him by his parents. Always at the mercy of white...