South Georgia 1955. Racial tensions lead to riots in the South. An old black woman named Rosie and a young white girl called Clementine are in danger of losing their lives in a flood. Caught up in swirling waters teeming with moccasins, dead animal carcasses and debris, they must get to higher ground to survive. They must work together to save themselves as well as a motherless child and a crippled young man. Will their combined efforts save them or will the impetuous, young girl’s thoughtless actions put them in more danger? Will Rosie come to Clementine’s rescue? During the long frightful night of the flood, Rosie takes Clementine on a mental journey as she tells the heart-wrenching tale of Kadie, her Gullah/Geechee ancestor who was kidnapped and brought to America on a slave-trading ship in the late 1700s. The tale touches Clementine’s soul, providing valuable lessons she will take to heart as she commits to learn about her own people. Were they resilient, intelligent, people with strong family values as Rosie’s were? Is there a “Kadie” in her history? A lifelong friendship is formed in this unlikely pair, and a thirst for knowledge and an appreciation of life is instilled in a young girl who wished only to hurry through life and grow up.