"Under the cover of night, twelve-year-old Homer flees Southerland Plantation with his younger sister, unwillingly leaving their mother behind. Through tangled vines, hidden doorways, and over a sky bridge, the two find a secret community called Freewater, deep in the swamp. In this society created by formerly enslaved people and some freeborn children, Homer finds new friends, almost forgetting where he came from. But when he learns of a threat that could destroy Freewater, he crafts a plan to return to Southerland Plantation, free his mother from enslavement, and help his new home."-- Provided by publisher