In 1850s Ohio, a free territory before the Civil War, Tawawa House is an idyllic retreat for Southern white men who vacation there every summer with their enslaved black mistresses. It’s their open secret. Lizzie, Reenie and Sweet are regulars at the resort, building strong friendships over the years. But when they are joined by Mawu, as fearless as she is assured, the seeds of an escape are planted. To run away is to leave everything behind, and for some it will be harder to break the emotional and psychological bonds that bind them to their masters. When a fire on the resort sets off a string of tragedies, the women of Tawawa House soon learn that triumph and dehumanization are inseparable & that love exists even in the darkest circumstances, all while they bear witness to the end of an era.
