In 1944 Ruth Martin was to be a freshman in the fall at Walnut Grove High School. A farm girl with a promising future, a best friend, a mostly loving family, and in love from afar with graduating senior Jack Rollins, who lived just up the road from Rolling Hills Farm. Drafted, Jack Rollins has also noticed Ruth and proposes to visit her, just to talk, before leaving for the service. This supposedly secret encounter launches a landslide of passion, blackmail, rape, incest, shame, lies, pregnancy, scheming, murder, pain, and romance. Ruth runs to Chicago where she marries rich Don Bowman but continues to search for best friend, Janet, and first love, Jack, who she is told is dead and she believes is also the father of her baby. Private detectives finally find Janet, and she calls Ruth. The two arrange to meet near Saint Louis, where an intriguing and thrilling climax to the story unfolds.