As Thomas Jefferson’s oldest daughter, Patsy Jefferson becomes his helpmate, protector and constant companion in the wake of her mother’s death, traveling with him when he becomes American minister to France. It is in Paris that 15-year-old Patsy learns about her father’s troubling liaison with Sally Hemings, a slave girl her own age. Meanwhile, Patsy has fallen in love --- with her father’s protégé William Short, a staunch abolitionist and ambitious diplomat. Torn between love, principles, and the bonds of family, Patsy questions whether she can choose a life as William’s wife and still be a devoted daughter.