Great rice plantations once existed along the rivers of coastal South Carolina. Lowcountry swamps were transformed into productive fields by African slaves from the continent's rice-growing regions. Even today, the earthen dams are still visible, and the Gullah dialect still spoken by descendants. A historically accurate portrayal of plantation life before the Civil War, Dark River tells the saga of two interdependent families, one black, the other white, on the mighty Moss Bank Plantation. Their compelling narratives capture the essence of this time and place as enduring bonds are built that span generations, transcending race and class amid the tragedy of slavery.