While World War ll rages far from home, Nellie wonders if the war under their roof will ever cease. Adventures, both real and imagined, provide escapes from her harsh life. Nellie, a tomboy and youngest of four children, grows up in Folsom, a city set in the historic Gold Country of California. Papa, the town drunk, frequently disrupts the peace within their home. While Mama, a gentle woman of faith, strives to keep peace. Despite her troubled home and lack of affection from Papa, Nellie finds fatherly love in her oldest brother. Her other two older brothers are ready playmates. She prefers overalls to frilly dresses and playing ball with boys to playing house with girls. Nellie's red hair and freckles never get in the way of her childhood play. But as she grows into a young woman, they become her nemesis. Will she ever find true love? Nellie lives by the same faith as Mama. Her sweet faith grows with Mama's encouragement and Uncle Dody's teaching. Will it survive the tragedy that befalls the family one Christmas Eve?