Captured at the age of four in Africa, a young girl lost everything: her mother, her brother, all her other family members, and even her own name, Ayanna. Now called Sarah, she is a smart and beautiful young girl enslaved on a plantation in Tennessee. Sarah not only suffers daily brutality, which includes beatings and fear of sexual assault, she suffers from vivid nightmares of her terrifying childhood experiences.

The few bright spots in her life include the kindnesses of her adoptive family, mother Mary and brother Daniel, and her friendship with another slave, the young preacher, John. Like all slaves, Sarah is forbidden to learn to read and write, but she secretly learns to read while listening to the lessons of her master's children. She becomes determined to get an education.

The narrative authentically depicts the horrors of slavery, and the bitter reality that freedom isn't a guarantee of a successful escape. The well crafted voice of the protagonist as well as the pacing of Sarah's remarkable story makes Noni Carter an author to watch.