In 1859 Raintree County, Indiana, idealistic student John Wickliff Shawnessey is drawn away from his high school sweetheart, Nell Gaither, when he falls for Susanna Drake, a wealthy Southern belle from New Orleans. As the rivalry for his heart deepens, Susanna’s troubled past and dark family history cast a shadow over their romance, while the coming Civil War threatens to change all of their lives.