The River Rose

The Mississippi Flood of 1927 was one of the most devastating natural disasters in American History. It displaced more than 700,000 people and killed hundreds of people. The flood also destroyed or damaged more than 250,000 homes. In a matter of days, it submerged an estimated one million acres of land in the Mississippi Delta under about 10 feet of water. This left many without food, shelter, or jobs. The Payne family is a one of many African American families living in the Mississippi Delta during the 1920s. Arthur "AD" Payne, the head of the family, works as a sharecropper and muleskinner for, Governor Leroy Percy, one of the most influential men in the country at the time. William and Orange 'O' are the sons of those men, who must navigate this disaster in their own unique ways. With the flood swiftly approaching, these two families find themselves at odds in a battle with nature, society, and the timeless challenge of fathering sons.