Louisiana, 1869. The Civil War might be over, but former slaves Coleman and June have yet to find the freedom they've been promised. Two years ago, the siblings were separated when their old master, Mr Harper, took June away on a hair-brained scheme to Mexico, to escape the new reality of the post-war South.

Coleman stayed behind to serve the Harper family, clinging to the hope that Mr Harper would one day bring June back to him.

When an unexpected letter from Mr Harper arrives, summoning Coleman and the Harper family to Mexico, Coleman believes his prayers have been answered. But what he cannot know is the tangled truth of June's tribulations and Mr Harper's true intentions. As Coleman and June separately navigate a perilous, parched landscape to find their way back to each other, they learn quickly that freedom isn't always given - sometimes, it must be taken by force.