It is 1864, and the Civil War is moving toward an end. President Lincoln has proclaimed his "great measure," and Southern slaves are slowly gaining their freedom. But for thirteen-year-old Eulinda, a house slave on a Georgia plantation, it is the most difficult time of her life. Her younger brother, Zeke, has been sold off, and her older brother, Neddy, has run away to join the Northern war effort. Eulinda is left behind to deal with a cruel mistress, and a master who will not acknowledge that Eulina is his daughter.

Eulinda's mettle is further tested when her mistress takes in Janie, a boarder, who offers Eulinda freedom and a chance to go North. But Eulinda discovers that Neddy may be jailed at the nearby Andersonville Prison- a notorious holding camp for Yankee soldiers. How can she leave when Neddy may be suffering there?

With the help of Clara Barton, the eventual founder of the American Red Cross, Eulinda learns that she must not only face the challenges around her in an uncertain world but also obey the callings of her own heart.