The Cutters live in a midwestern town called Meadows. Ed, the father, is a lawyer not destined for Easy Street. Nell, his wife, is not the model of a Good Housekeeping wife. Whether she is decorating on a budget for wealthy guests or testing child-raising theories or trying to make the daily loaf a bit more yeasty, Nell is not afraid to experiment.

"A western story set in a small town in Nebraska on 'the rim of the prairie.' The characters include a tantalizing heroine made more attractive by a hint of mystery, a steadfast hero, and two delightful pioneers."-Cleveland Open Shelf

In her small frontier town, Abbie finds herself being courted by two different men, Will and Ed. After promising Ed her hand, her true love, Will comes back from the war asking the same. Abbie choses Will and the pair leave town for land out West. With only the pearls her mother gave her as a wedding gift and her love of singing, Abbie discovers that life on the prairie is tough on her marriage and her dream.