The author of Dream of Freedom returns to the South, where one family risks everything to help runaway slaves, as the drums of Civil War begin to sound. With their beloved plantation, Greenwood, now a vital link in the Underground Railroad, Richmond and Carolyn Davidson must balance the need for safety with their commitment to helping the many runaways who appear at their door. Compounding their danger, the Davidson's neighbors, the Beaumonts, do not approve of their decision-and view them with suspicion. The danger intensifies when the Davidsons' older son, Seth, becomes engaged to Veronica, the Beaumonts' beautiful, scheming daughter-against her parents' wishes. As the two families are swept up in events leading up to the Civil War, they must choose sides-in a conflict that will change their lives forever.