What is the main conflict in The Dollmaker by Harriette Simpson Arnow?

In the early days of World War II, strong-willed Gertie Nevels saves her youngest son's life by refusing to acknowledge the many obstacles placed in her path. Her gritty determination also fuels her dreams of purchasing a local piece of farmland, which she envisions providing a productive home for her and her family for the rest of their lives. It also sustains her yearning to find the right face for the figure she is carving out of a beautiful block of cherry wood.