In 1880's Dakota Territory, teenager Laura Ingalls struggles to earn her teaching certificate, says good-bye to her sister Mary when she leaves home to attend a school for the blind, and shyly begins a romance with Almanzo Wilder.

Laura and Almanzo Wilder have just been married. Their life on a small prairie homestead begins with high hopes. But each year seems to bring unexpected disasters--storms, sickness, fire, and unpaid debts. These first four years call for courage, strength, and a great deal of determination. Always, though, there is love, especially for the newest member of the family--baby Rose.

Hard-working but soft hearted, Casie Carmichael seems to be a magnet for strays and misfits. When a run-down ranch ends up in her possession, she hopes to sell it off. But before long, she finds a horse that needs rescuing, an exasperating old flame who turns her life upside down, and a trio of kids in dire need of help. Together, they will discover that Hope Springs, South Dakota is a place where the heart goes to heal.

"Wild horses, wild hearts -- and a diapered lamb under the Christmas tree . . . Could life get any more hectic at the Lazy Windmill? With the holidays reminding Casie of every mistake she's ever made, and her assistant Emily struggling to be a single mom, it's anyone's guess what the New Year will bring. Then bad boy Colt Dickenson shows up with a ring. No one has ever gotten under her skin like he has, but Casie can't believe a rough stock cowboy...