Goldenrod follows inquisitive young girl Clara when her father Judson leaves the family to join the Union cause. Clara’s mother Ruth and older sister Ida struggle to take care of the family in Judson’s absence. While reminiscing about her lost father, Clara meets a family also affected by Judson’s journey south; Flora and her mother Adele, runaways on the Underground Railroad.

Clara uses the opportunity to follow in her father's footsteps, aiding the two along their path to freedom