Jean Erickson, the eldest of seven children, is fed up with the problems caused by the relentless Nebraska climate, the effects of the Great Depression, the small-town gossips, and most of all her father's alcoholic rages. Vowing to find a better life, she marries John Curren, a young man from a nearby town who shares her wish to escape. Jean's dream is dashed when her husband returns from World War II a full-blown alcoholic. He's not a docile drunk, but a violent one. At first, Jean fights back, but their relationship hits rock bottom, and she makes a life-altering decision. After five years, Jean gathers the courage to flee with her three daughters. Stalked by John, she and her children are forced to move many times to escape the terror until she meets a new man who promises to fulfill her dream. But will he