September, 1859 At age thirteen, Virginia has grown up safe and carefree. Her family owns a general store in a small, rural town in Southern Indiana, and they live on a farm a few miles west of the town. She believes her life is simple, her days filled with the chores that come with living on a farm. Then, her parents share the family's secret. It's frightening to discover that the farm she loves and feels safe at is being used for illegal activity, known as the Underground Railroad. For the next year and a half, Virginia becomes a willing participant in helping her family commit the crime. In the fall of 1860, Abraham Lincoln is elected President, and by March, 1861, a battle has been fought between the North and South. The dividing line is drawn and the South becomes the Confederacy. The long war that follows makes it unnecessary for Virginia's family to continue their involvement in the Underground Railroad but brings about a whole new worry. Reuben and Carter, Virginia's older brothers, are now faced with the choice of whether or not to join the Union forces.