An angry widower and his five daughters live on their derelict farm out in Little Chapel, rural Philadelphia. Harold Winston lost his wife fourteen years ago when she was giving birth to his only son, a child who lived for only a few minutes after his mother’s death.

To Harold, having five daughters is like having useless people living in his house, in spite of the fact that the girls work so hard. Jacinth, Ruby, Crystal, Pearl, and Emerald are all very hard working but suffer at the hands of their father. They are also struggling with their Christianity because they don’t see the grace it preaches.

Things seem like they will never change until their estranged uncle George Winston steps in to rescue the situation. Is he a benevolent benefactor, or does he have some ulterior motive for coming into their lives, especially when they lose their father soon after his arrival?