It's 1855, and at the debt-ridden Dickinson farm in Virginia, a Northern abolitionist arrives and creates havoc among the slaves. Determined to find his mother and daughter, who are already free in Canada, Bry is the first of dozens of slaves to flee, and his escape inspires a dozen others. After the farm fails, John Dickinson, his wife, two daughters, and 13-year-old son, Martin, now face life on the westward trail and an unknown future alone. After a fateful encounter along the way, Martin agrees to help get Bry safely to Canada, but each member of the family will be tested and changed by the journey.