The entire country suffered during the great depression. Food and money became hard to find and businesses started closing left and right. Once millions of peoples life savings vanished with the great depressions arrival, one of the many farming families struggling to stay afloat, the Collins resorted to breaking the law. Of course, in doing so there would also be a price to pay. Not being able to hire help when the harvesting season arrived, the children were recruited to help with the many chores and stayed home rather than going to school. During one harvesting season while the kids were at play, Joshua Collins begins falling in love with one of the neighboring girls he has known most of his young life.