Liberated by the Emancipation Proclamation, brothers Prentiss and Landry seek refuge on the property of white farmer George Walker and his wife Isabelle. The Walkers, devasted by the death of their son in the Civil War, hire the brothers to work their land, hoping that this unexpected friendship will help them heal. Prentiss and Landry plan to save money to travel North and reunite with their mother, who was sold when they were children. Parallel to this story, a prohibited romance blossoms between two Confederate soldiers. When their secret gets out, the repercussions threaten to destabilize the entire community. This novel presents Georgia during the violent period of Reconstruction.