Having always accepted life as it is, Maggie's world transforms when a butterfly escapes a spider's web before her eyes. It never occurred to her that one might successfully escape. Her mate, when he was still there years back, had spoke to someone about how to get free, but when Maggie asks, he won't help a woman. Too risky. Lucy, the nine-year-old daughter of the Master, is a lonely child with no friends near and a mother who's hand does her talking. When Lucy sees Maggie's son break her only pitcher, and Maggie comfort rather than strike him, she yearns to feel just a little of Maggie's warmth. But Maggie knows mixing with a white girl can bring nothing but trouble. Maggie's older daughter Honey has just been promoted to the house, and becomes the personal maid to the Mistress.

House hands are favored with better work and better food. Honey is happy where she is, and besides, all field hands know you can't trust house slaves. One day Maggie's two young boys, Buster and Tweed, discover Preacher, the giant escaped slave hiding beneath the honeysuckle tree. Preacher's leg is torn bad, and the boys get Maggie to help. In Preacher, Maggie sees her path to freedom. In Maggie, however, Preacher sees yet another anchor round his neck. He can't rightly reach freedom as it is; how will he do so hampered by a mother and kids? Then he meets Honey, the fresh young woman happy just as she is. And he suddenly wants nothing more in life then to see she's safe and protected.

Dreams can be such fragile things.