Terrible, unspeakable things happened to Sethe at Sweet Home, the farm where she lived as a slave for so many years until she escaped to Ohio. Her new life is full of hope but 18 years later she is still not free. Sethe's new home is not only haunted by the memories of her past but also by the ghost of her baby, who died nameless.
Efter den amerikanske borgerkrig prøver en sort kvinde at komme fri af sin fortid som slave og barnemorderske, men genfærdet af den dræbte datter hjemsøger hende.