Memphis, Tennessee, 1939. Twelve-year-old Rill Foss and her younger siblings live a magical life aboard their family's river boat. But when their mother is rushed to the hospital one night, Rill is left in charge, until strangers arrive in force. Wrenched from all that is familiar and thrown into an orphanage, the Foss children are assured that they will soon be returned to their parents. But they quickly realize the dark truth ... Aiken, South Carolina, present day. Avery Stafford seems to have it all : a successful career, a handsome fiancé, and a lavish wedding on the horizon. Yet when she returns home to help her father through a health scare, a chance encounter leaves her with uncomfortable questions about the family's long-hidden history. It's a path that will ultimately lead to devastation or to redemption.