Anna Jamison, a runaway slave, makes a daring escape to Willingham, Pennsylvania, to find freedom. In her pursuit of freedom, she has to avoid the notorious Railroad Men, a group of professional slave catchers. Anna's grit and determination, and a church in the middle of nowhere, propel her to her final destination.

This rescue mission is nothing short of suicide. To escape from slavery was dangerous enough; to go back to the plantation she escaped from was near insanity. After rounding up her siblings, the five begin their trek north to freedom.

In come the James kids, Rob, Claire, and Benji, along with their dog Lucy, visiting the new library. The town of Willingham is celebrating the grand opening of the library and the Freedom Bridge. The library was built on the site of an abolitionist's home. After a tour of the library, the kids are shown an old wooden door to the basement. The basement and a copying machine become a portal to the past.

Entering the portal, the James kids find themselves in the middle of an eerie forest at night. Where were they? When were they? The year is 1864. Lucy the dog runs into the forest. Claire is suspicious but follows her brothers into the woods. This is where the three James kids and Lucy encounter Anna, Jupiter, Joy, Caleb, and Jenny.

After overcoming extreme weather, hunger, thirst, the slave catchers, a civil war battle, and revenge-seeking Beau Jamison, the eight reach freedom, walking across the Freedom Bridge.