The story takes place in the early 1950s on a remote ranch on Cricket Creek which has recently become home to the Brown family. Although the geographical area is never specifically named, the hot springs, rimrock cliffs and canyons, and sun-drenched dusty plains dotted with sagebrush indicate that Lampman has set her story in the arid desert plateau of central Oregon.

Hoping their newly inherited ranch will solve their financial problems, the widowed Mrs. Brown and her twelve-yearold twins, Joey and Joan, have moved to Cricket Creek, only to find the property in a sorry state. The nearest small town is miles away, and the Browns—especially the two children—must accustom themselves to the isolation and resulting loneliness. The disillusioned family also must contend with the harshness of the climate and a lack of water to irrigate their crops. Realizing the ranch cannot support them...