Charity Camber is a young woman who grew up with an alcoholic and abusive father in such poverty that there was often nothing in the home to eat. Charity got out of that life by marrying Joe Camber. However, Joe is barely a step above Charity's father. Joe owns a farm and a business, but he is just as abusive and as frequently drunk as Charity's father. Charity is afraid for her son, afraid that he will grow up to become just like his father. When Charity wins the lottery, rather than thinking of divorce and a new start, she thinks of taking her son to visit his aunt so that he might see there is a different world out there than the one in which his father lives in. Charity gets her way, but soon discovers that it takes more than money to get a person out of the poverty and abuse of her country lifestyle. In the end, Charity resolves to return to her marriage and do the best she can by her child. When Charity learns that her husband has been killed, Charity is happy until she realizes she must tell her child. However, with Joe's death, Charity finally has the opportunity she wanted to give her son a better life than the one she has had.