In the pine forests of 1930s North Carolina, Rae Lynn Cobb works hard alongside her husband on their small turpentine farm. Thankful for her life after a childhood in an orphanage, she clings to her fragile stability—until a tragic accident forces her to take desperate measures. Disguised as a man named “Ray,” she flees to Swallow Hill, a harsh turpentine camp in Georgia.
Swallow Hill is far from a sanctuary. Amid grueling work and cruel overseers, Rae Lynn befriends Cornelia, a woman trapped in a toxic marriage, and Del Reese, a man seeking redemption. Together, they dream of a way out of the camp’s brutal hold.
To find freedom, Rae Lynn must confront her painful past and summon the courage to claim a new beginning.
