It's 1924 South Carolina, and the region is still recovering from the infamous boll weevil infestation which devastated the land and the economy. Gertrude, a mother of four, must make an unconscionable decision to save her daughters from starvation or die at the hands of an abusive husband. Retta is navigating a harsh world as a first-generation freed slave, still employed by the Coleses, influential plantation proprietors who once owned her family. Annie is the matriarch of the Coles family and must come to terms with the terrible truth which ripped her family apart. These three women seemingly have nothing in common, yet as they unite to stand up to the terrible injustices which have long plagued the small town, they find strength in the bond which ties women together.