An all-out struggle of the fittest is currently underway in a Midwestern rural community. As dirt incessantly swirls and heat ravages the cracked earth, the people of Hogenville wonder if they are really living in hell. While some try to find comfort in their faith, others are tormented by worry and fear. It is the Great Depression-a time when already broken spirits must endure more than seems humanly possible. Mert Sadley is a laundress attempting to eke out a meager existence while her husband, Ed, drinks everything she earns. Rosella Hawkins is a teenage orphan trying to find comfort in gossip, food, and lustful acts. Margaret Silverton is wealthy and respected, but hides a family secret. John Winters is a struggling farmer with a wife, six children, burned crops, and an overdue bank note. Abe Prentice secretly loves Mert, but knows he cannot marry her without his mother's approval. Philip Chalmers, who once wanted to serve God, now manages the family bank. Miriam Sadley knows that in caring for her family and animals, she is fulfilling her destiny. Hogenville County is the compelling tale that provides a glimpse into the lives of the hardy, steadfast people living in a farming community during one of the most uncertain times in America's history.