After journeying west as a young woman in A Different Trail West, Samantha reversed direction and returned to Arkansas as the wife of a farmer and part-time preacher. The Foley family story resumes with Samantha now a Civil War widow and the mother of two young daughters, Clare and Lara. Relying on God and the same common sense and hard work that made her a business success in the West, Samantha scrambles to provide a living for her family while keeping her daughters safe in war-torn Fayetteville. As the girls grow older, Lara discovers her natural gift is music and Clare finds her joy in teaching and nurturing children. Samantha trusts God to watch over Clare as she moves to Texas as a new bride, but suffers a mother's heartache when Lara impulsively flees Arkansas. After Lara experiences years of disillusionment and loss, God provides a way for her to journey East to West Heaven to redeem her life and hopefully find love.