Through the perspective of two young slaves as well as period drawings and photos, this book accurately depicts the fervent pre-Civil War era when slavery was at its height.
The year is 1858, and a 14-year old house servant named Callie and another young slave named William attempt a daring escape on the Underground Railroad. Traveling by night, these brave teens come across things they cannot believe, such as an African-American newspaper published by escaped slave Frederick Douglass, all the while amazingly avoiding capture.

Barbara Brooks weaves fact-based oral histories of the fictional characters Callie and William with rich period photographs, maps, and/or illustrations on every page, that place the adventures squarely within the era.