A young girl is curious about a scrap of cloth hanging on the wall in her great aunt's house and learns that it came from a quilt that played a role in her own family history. Her great aunt explains how as a young girl, she and her older brother were involved in the 'Underground Railroad' and in particular, the displaying of quilts incorporating secret messages to help fugitives from slavery on their journey northwards. The story - in picture book format - concludes with an author's note giving factual information about the 'Underground Railroad' and the back cover gives examples of various quilt squares with a glossary of their codified meanings.