Bennie Shelton leaves familiar life on mountain to learn from strangers in the new town of Helen. She doesn't know if she can keep her past a secret, but must get little girl in school. She avoids town's new preacher as she helps prepare for rich Atlanta visitors, who use Helen train to visit amazing mountain sites. She acquires second daughter and wonders how she can keep promise to write to preacher. Bennie's oldest daughter is left widow when her husband dies of tuberculosis, despite being taken to sanatorium near Baldwin. She moves to Atlanta where she works in Rich's and becomes friends with an exciting worker in FDR's presidential campaign.