Sis Goose is a beloved member of Luli's family, despite the fact that she was born a slave.
But the family is harboring a terrible secret. And when Union soldiers arrive on their Texas plantation to announce that slaves have been declared free for nearly two years, Sis Goose is horrified to learn that the people she called family have lied to her for so long.
She runs away—but her newly found freedom has tragic consequences. Fourteen-year-old Luli sets out across the sweltering Texas brush beside her brother Gabriel to track the runaway girl down.
Gabriel refuses to abandon the trail, following horse tracks through thicket prairies and water holes where Comanches and deserters roam. Riding south past Cummin's Station toward San Felipe, brother and sister search for their lost companion across open country before time runs out.
Includes an author's note.