Dana Franklin, living in 1976 Los Angeles, unexpectedly gets whisked through time back into the nineteenth century. As soon as she realizes what has happened, she notices a young boy, face down in the water drowning. Dana hops into the water and saves this young stranger from certain death. With no sorrow, the young boy's parents scold Dana for saving their son from the water. The young boy's father drives a shotgun barrel down Dana's face. With her life in danger, Dana quickly goes back through time into the present muddy from her ordeal. Dana tries to explain to her husband what has happened, but he finds it hard to believe her. Her husband, Kevin tells Dana she was not gone for more then a few seconds. But to Dana it felt like she was gone for minutes. Soon enough Dana goes through time and finds the same young boy, Rufus, in his room with burning curtains. Once again Dana saves the young boy from death, a cycle she soon becomes aware of. Dana continues to be c!.
alled to save Rufus, and frequently stays long periods of time in his plantation. But soon she realizes the only way she can get back to 1976 is to be in a life threatening situation. After coming back into the plantation for a third time, she ends up staying with her husband for a very long time. Dana must take on the slave character to be able to survive, with her husband acting as her owner. As a slave she endures the torture and mistreatment that comes along with being a slave. Whipping, endures rapes, and family break ups are commonplace in Dana's new surroundings. .
Dana tries to mold Rufus into a respectful young man. But Rufus's father, Master Tom Weylin, is a stubborn, old fashioned man who tries to thwarts Dana's efforts into molding Rufus into a gentleman. Along the way, Dana teaches Rufus how to read and soon many slaves find an interest in reading. Knowing full well the consequences in teaching a slave how to read, she ignores them and goes about her teaching.