With New Orleans as their destination, Cheney Duvall and her nurse, Shiloh Irons, leave behind the glittering lights of New York City and travel to Charleston, South Carolina, intending to stay for only a short time. But they are swiftly drawn into the plight of this war-torn Southern city caught in the throes of Post Civil War Reconstruction. As Cheney and Shiloh are embroiled in the political, social, and economic troubles that plague the city, they also are drawn they witness the rise of the Knights of the White Rose, a fraternal order of white supremacists. As things turn violent, Cheney and Shiloh face a decision: how much are they willing to risk to stand up against injustice?