An explosion Downtown Baltimore is burning. Jackson Freeman depends on the docks for his livelihood, so he heads toward the flames to help. After an exhausting 27 hours, all hope is lost. Jackson returns home to find his wife and children have died of influenza. He then seeks out his German friend Carl to begin what they had once dreamt of building together, a farming partnership. This would allow Jackson to be independent of White men. Unfortunately, Carl had more than one dream. By the time Jackson reaches him, Carl has opened a lucrative automobile fix-it shop with a different partner. As Baltimore begins rising from the ashes, Jackson determines to follow his dream. He will go it alone. Land is cheap in Ohio. Along the way, Jackson hooks up with shady characters who offer him partnership in the sale of the goods they are taking to Stanton, Ohio in exchange for money to buy a horse for their oversized wagon. An axle problem keeps them from their destination and they wheel their wagon into the nearby Schein farm, operated by the Widow Schein. There, Jackson comes face to face with destiny when he meets the White woman he will work for, learn from, grow to hate, come to respect, and...love?