In the year 1859, with the nation on the brink of civil war, black sheep Nick Howard of Foxburrow Plantation falls in love with Lucy, a slave owned by the ruthless owner of a neighboring plantation. When Nick learns that Lucy is carrying his baby, he knows his only choice is to save her life and the life of his unborn child. He leaves his comfortable life behind as he and his lover attempt a frantic escape from the South, one step ahead of the law and the slaveowner himself, on a quest to achieve a better life for him and his family in the North.