Following the sudden death of her husband, Brenna McEvoy finds herself a widowed mother of three young children, and despite her privileged upbringing must somehow find a way to survive and make a living for her family. Brenna's only asset is her charming Victorian home which she transforms into a boarding house for local miners. Although Brenna is unskilled at managing a house full of men, she quickly rolls up her sleeves to embrace the challenge, but the struggle of day-to-day living forces her to open her eyes to the suffering and bigotry surrounding the working class. As time passes, she learns to survive in a competitive mining town, where tongues wag quickly and tales spread quicker. When she falls in love with a working man, Manuel Rodiguez, and she finds herself shunned by her family and friends, she must decide to follow the rules of society or follow her heart. The nightbird's song reminds Brenna that we are strengthened by the struggles we survive...but will her resolve be enough to save her children?