Rachel Benton and her daughter embark on a pleasant country drive to research her ancestors when a sudden storm drives them in an unexpected direction. Stranded and alone, an isolated cabin seems to offer refuge, but within those timbered walls more threats await. Rachel's troubles in the present are woven together with a family embroiled in the Civil War and the lives they touch on their journey to freedom. Lives are imperiled, and a dawning realization changes Rachel's life forever. Dual time lines skillfully woven together draw readers into the action-filled story. And true details from Four Branches of the author's family tree provide a sound basis for this compelling work of historical fiction.