Mathabane was born under the name “Johannes” in Alexandra, a black ghetto in South Africa in 1965 during apartheid. His parents were from tribal reserves and did not have the benefit of education. His childhood was marked by poverty and instability. He became a superior student at his local school and won a scholarship to further his education. He constantly dreamed of going to America after becoming enamored of the black American tennis pro Arthur Ashe, who visited South Africa in the 1970s. After his grandmother’s white employer gave him a tennis racket, he became interested in playing the game and eventually rose to national level play through dogged determination. Mathabane earned a scholarship to Limestone College in South Carolina after the intervention of American tennis champ Stan Smith.

The author’s mother, whose first name is not given in the book, was a relentless champion of her seven children. She was sold to her husband, Jackson, for a bride price. As time went on, she was more willing to go against her husband and send her children to school, which he disagreed with. She became an adherent of Christianity and credited the religion with her family’s improved luck.