When her mother died, Laura went to live with an aunt and uncle in Virginia. Now she is back home, and she discovers that her brother and father are helping runaway slaves escape to Canada. Her house is a stopover on the underground railroad! Laura believes that anyone helping a fugitive slave is breaking the law. Then, she meets Martin Paige, a 12-year-old runaway slave who would rather die than be sent back to the south. Will Laura help him?