Life on a Wisconsin farm in the 1930's isn't easy. The Great Depression is on, and folks don't have much of anything-- food, clothing, money, or work. Doris Free adn her family don't have it quite as bad as some of their neighbors, so when Doris meets a boy named Danny who is much worse off, she is determined to help him, no matter what.

But how can Doris help Danny and his aunt when her own family has nothing to spare? Will she get into trouble if her family finds out what she is doing? Doris hatches a plan, which soon takes on a life of its own, growing and blossoming until it's much grander than either she or Danny could ever have imagined.