In 1930's Scotland men are desperate for work, families are starving a thousands of farms lie derelict. But Fairlyden has survived thanks to Logan Fairly's skill as a cattle breeder and his wife's thriftiness. At seventeen, their daughter Kirsty is fiercely roud of her father's achievements, but her brother Luke has no interest in farming and his fear of animals results in tragedy.James MacFarlane has spent the first twenty-three years of his life at the Fairlyden, eagerly absorbing all that Logan can teach him. But when he elects to live with his great-uncle at Nithanvale, a longtime rival of the Fairlys, Kirsty feels betrayed. And the rift is further widened by her jealousy of Mary, the gentle girl who, together with her half-cousin, is the last in the long line of MacFarlanes.Responsibility for Fairlyden is thrust on Kirsty just as the Second World War breaks out. But even in the face of all adversity, Kirsty retains her sense of humour and her determination to keep the farm that has been the pride of the Fairlys for generations.