Twelve-year-old Harry Jones arrives in St. Louis in the summer of 1904 ready to have the time of his life at the glorious St. Louis World's Fair. But the minute he gets off the train, unanticipated events push him to see the underside of this utopian moment in American history. The Song of the Molimo explores the fictional relationship between Harry and Ota Benga, whose character is based on an African pygmy who is on display at the fair. Their unlikely friendship affirms the ability of people to change and change one another.