The captivating story of Solomon Northups pastor and James Bowies neighbor Joseph WillisAnd the reallife connections between Solomon Northup William Prince Ford James Bowie and Joseph WillisAntebellum LouisianaThe son of a white man and Cherokee slave Joseph Willis gains his freedom and swims the mighty Mississippi on a muleDriven by three winds a wind of freedom driving him from North Carolina a mighty rushing wind compelling him across the Mississippi River into the Louisiana Territory a wind of war fueled by slaveryRooted in a time of tradition and chivalry Joseph discovers a land of innocence lostHis life converges with Louisiana contemporaries including Solomon Northup James Bowie William Prince Ford Edwin Epps John Murrell John Audubon Baroness Micaela Almonester de Pontalba Jean Lafitte and voodoo queen Marie Laveau as well as Texas Ranger Jack C HaysInspired by a true story