In 1861, as the American Civil War escalates, eleven-year old Jennine is reluctantly taken by her father to live in Savannah, Georgia, with the twelve-year old cousin she despises- Annise Loreal Bouvoir. While awaiting the return of her father from his covert Nothern military duties, Jennine and Annise soon find themselves caught up in the family's espionage and Underground Railroad activities. As Jennine comes to love and admire her independent and fearless cousin she also re-examines her arrogant attitude toward Negro slaves, in particular the handsome mulatto boy who works in the family's cotton plantation. For more than three years, as the horror and deprivations of the war continue, the two cousins find comfort and joy in each other's company, and the mysterious treasures of a long-forgotten secret attic.