The daughter of wealthy British aristocrats, Sarah Blantyre tries to fight her growing feelings for the gardener's son, Thomas Harrison. But on the evening of her eighteenth birthday, Thomas gently kisses her and confesses his love, thus beginning a passionate relationship that defies social barriers.

America beckons the couple with the promise of a new life, and Sarah sacrifices her pampered existence to travel with Tom to the vast Nebraska prairie. With the help of their American friend, Justis Taylor, the couple heads out in a covered wagon for the bustling new settlement of Omaha, Nebraska.

Their adventure demands courage and strength beyond their reckoning. Thomas and Sarah will soon discover whether the demands of a partnership between man and land are more than they can bear. But will a man's love for his wife be as enduring as the obsessive love he has for his land?