In the shadowed hollers of the early-twentieth-century Appalachian Mountains, Lizzy Haney is on the run.

She's been falsely accused of murder and is desperate to reunite with her brother, River, whose unforgettable green eyes haunt her. The secret in her past is a stinging wound, but it motivates her toward her goal: freedom.

But nine-year-old River, sent through the United States Post Office to his late mother's friend in Knoxville, never arrived. Lizzy's dream of finding him and starting a new life away from their alcoholic and abusive father is ripped away.

Her hope rekindles as she finds an unexpected confidant to help her dodge the law and save the missing youngin'. As she finds herself trusting him, she discovers the truth of the old adage her momma repeated: And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.