A family of Appalachian children live together in the backwoods so that they can stay together after the death of their widower father.

Roy Luther, widowed for four years, and his four children - Devola, Mary Call, Romey and Ima Dean - live in the shadows of the Smokey Mountains of North Carolina, they truly a product of the mountains. They used to own the land on which they now sharecrop, they believing Kiser Pease stealing it from them in he paying the back taxes which Roy Luther failed to pay. Devola, the romantic, took over the domestic duties of the household following her mother's passing. However, in Roy Luther knowing of his own imminent passing due to his poor health, he instructs fourteen year old Mary Call, as the practical one - as practical as a fourteen year old can be - to take over his role in the family following his passing, including not to call in any figure of authority in his distrust, and not to allow Devola to marry Kiser, who is sweet on her and Devola who would say yes if left to her own devices. Mary Call takes the directive literally in not informing anyone of authority of their father's passing in fear that she and her siblings would be separated in the foster care system. Trying to hide Roy Luther's death becomes difficult as more and more people want to speak to him, including Kiser in his continuing pursuit of Devola. But Mary Call has to decide how far to honor Roy Luther's dying wishes as she struggles to keep everything together, and as she herself is pulled in other directions.—Huggo