In August of 1931, almost two years after the disastrous stock market crash on Wall Street, Bella's wealthy family suddenly find themselves broke and homeless in New York City. She is sent to live on her birth father's struggling farm in Oklahoma and soon the pampered, well-to-do city girl is forced to face life as a poor country bumpkin. The transition will not be easy for the overindulged sixteen year old. To make matters worse, choking dust storms, a dangerous drought and the hiring of a handsome but hardheaded homeless man will complicate Bella's life even further.