Thornton Guthrie works his father's land at gunpoint. The year is 1834, and men of the establishment have total control over their kin. Escaping is out of the question. Estranged from his abused mother, Thornton lives in isolation.

That changes when Thornton's father buys three slaves, William, Ronan, and Henry. Thornton loathes slavery and realizes that for the first time in fifteen years, his father--and his father's rifle--are outnumbered. Thornton dreams of joining forces with the men to plot an escape, but as the slave-owner's son, he must convince the men he is on their...