Mississippi, 1934 - Willie Lee Jameson, a descendant of slaves, lives much as his forebears did, his life constrained by the will of others. The only bright spot in his life is Emmy, a young married woman who shares his affection by night but must keep their relationship secret by day. When a trio of outsiders discover the couple in an intimate moment, what follows is barbaric and unforgivable. And when Willie Lee later comes face to face with one of the culprits, he kills the man in a fit of blind rage. Even in a just world, Jameson could expect to pay a heavy price. In the Jim Crow south, he has sentenced himself and the woman he loves to a violent, premature death.