Beans, beans, beans! Nelly Vandorn knows that trouble always comes in threes. And now that her ma is dead, and her pa has disappeared, Nelly is just waiting for the third trouble to come along.

When Pa finally returns home with a young city woman as his new bride, Nelly realizes she's just met trouble number three. Margery knows as much about the wilderness as Nelly knows about reading, writing, and schooling -- nothing. In Nelly's opinion, just about the only thing Margery is good for is looking mighty silly trying to be a pioneer woman.

But nothing seems to discourage her from trying to be a pioneer wife. Nelly can't decide if Margery is brave, or just plain crazy for sticking it out. Nelly has never expected much from life, but the longer she's around Margery, the more she begins to see that there is a world beyond her little cabin in the wilderness.