The Charles family's history, from slavery forward, is chronicled through carvings on their heirloom piano. But in post-Depression Pittsburgh, siblings Berniece and Boy Willie disagree with what to do with the instrument. Willie wants to move forward, sell it, and use the proceeds to purchase a piece of the land his family once slaved on. But Berniece wants to keep it, as the carvings represent a past she's still coming to terms with, especially since her father died to recover the piano.