An Epic Saga of Two Families Living on Opposite Sides of Slavery in Pre-civil War South It's 1852 in the Delta of Mississippi, and the choice to sell one slave sets in motion a series of tragic events for two families on a cotton plantation. What if the nightmare you feared your entire life became a reality in one day? Without notice, Thomas is snatched from all he knows and placed in an unjust world of cruelty. Back at Arledge Hall plantation, his parents, Joe and Lucy, grieve his absence, but are powerless to help their firstborn son. When Joe stands up to the neighboring plantation's overseer, he invites vengeance on his son, which causes Thomas to run. The Banks family is at odds with the decision to sell their slave Thomas. When a new book circulates the country, raising questions about their southern way of life, the family faces opposition, not only with each other, but with their neighbors as well, especially since they have family members in the north. What follows is unthinkable for them all, but Joe's courageous faith shines in the face of an evil that threatens the occupants of Arledge Hall. How can a slave have such an impact on a landowner's family as they endure cruel tragedy while approaching the threat of war? And can that impact be welcomed by the landowner who blames him for their grief? Spend almost a decade at Arledge Hall in this first book of the trilogy, and discover why you'll want to visit again and again.