The suicide of the rebellious enslaved Ruby changes both the slave quarters and the consciousness of the enslaved women; but mostly forces the enslaved midwife Pearl to face the moral dilemma involved in birthing children who will be condemned to a life of enslavement.
A peaceful Sunday morning on the Bellamy plantation is disrupted by the suicide of the rebellious Ruby, wife of the hated driver Sam. This event throws the plantation into chaos when the spirit of Ruby returns to produce havoc on the plantation. Ruby's death most affects the midwife who has become her surrogate mother and who struggles with the requirements of the master and pull of her African roots. Pearl, the midwife, must come to terms with what it means to help birth children who will live their lives in bondage. Ruby's courage and actions lead the women of the quarters in a resistance to producing more slaves for the plantation.