In the summer of 1864, the ongoing war against the Union leaves the Confederate capital of Richmond, Virginia, jittery and dispirited. When Amanda, a lonely, young mother whose husband is away fighting for the Confederacy, meets a convalescing soldier, she welcomes the diversion. Her enchantment soon turns to panic when she discovers she is pregnant. Cassie, the enslaved woman who works in Amanda's home, has no choice but to become involved in Amanda's decisions.