Lee Chin arrives in America in 1866 to work on the transcontinental railroad. His cruel father is disappointed in him because he wants to be an artist. To make matters worse, Lee Chin's father has sold his sister, Sunshine, into slavery in order to help pay for their passage to America. In a new land, Lee Chin must defy his father and earn the money to free his sister. What does Lee Chin do to help his sister? Can he stand up to his father? Readers follow Lee Chin's courageous story during the construction of one of America's first modern wonders, the transcontinental railroad.