Alabama, 1869. Bethany Lancaster, a beautiful southern belle, must travel through the ruins of her beloved state to pay off the gambling debts of her fiancé —the dashing Dewey Lee.

Only, Bethany is surprised to find her fiancé on a plantation that is owned by a powerful black man named Ebenezer. The men on this black-owned plantation have accused Dewey —once a Lieutenant in the Confederate army— of murder and other heinous crimes. Dewey's fate is all but sealed.

But just when it looks like there's no hope, dark-skinned Ebenezer gives pale, creamy Bethany a final opportunity to save the love of her life. But it won't be easy for the beautiful young woman. In doing so, she will have to turn her back on the privileged world she's always known. And she will have to embrace a life that is part nightmare, and part toe-curling fantasy.