Tennessee, 1862. Fifteen-year-old Elizabeth Edwards hates her personal slave, Anna. Elizabeth has never given much thought to the plight of the slaves on her father's plantation; instead, she focuses on pretty dresses and horses, and dreams of the young man she wants to marry. But Elizabeth's world collapses when she is told she must marry her cousin to keep the plantation in the family. Elizabeth takes out her anger on Anna, who finally snaps and reveals that Elizabeth and she have the same father. Anna is brutally whipped the next day, and Elizabeth is horrified. When she tries to confide in her mother, she finds her secretly kissing Elizabeth's tutor. Elizabeth now feels she has nothing and nobody. She changes her attitude about Anna and asks her to run away with her. They are overheard by two stable hands, Fred and Sam, who have heard of a safe house on the Underground Railroad. The four of them set off, planning to reach Canada. Will they all make it to Canada alive? Does Anna truly forgive Elizabeth, or is she just using her? Is it possible to find love on the run?

Plantation Children

Sam opens his mouth,but then glances to the right and left before speaking in hushed tones.“Hannah was whipped after Anna.Anna only received the minimum amount of lashes,but her mother was whipped until overseer’s arm got tired.And then Master whipped her.Hannah is still tied to the oak tree,and overseer is standing beside her to make sure none of us attend to her wounds.”


I put my face in my hands,overcome with guilt and despair.Not my Hannah,the one who sang me to sleep and brushed my hair and made it look so pretty.Papa knows how much Hannah means to me;or did I never tell him?How could she not mean something to me?


Sam disappears,and soon the old woman who attended Anna returns with two buckets and a rag.


Chapter 12