Elsie is desperate for a horse of her own, but her family can't afford to buy a horse, never mind pay for the grain and hay to keep it fed through the winter. With her father injured, Elsie must find a way to earn money-- in addition to going to school and helping Mam with the other kids. At her classmate Elam's family's horse farm, it becomes harder and harder to be the responsible young woman her parents expect her to be. Struggling to reconcile her frustration with the obedience her Amish faith requires, she also starts to have confusing feelings for Elam.