The winter of 1858 has been hard in Kentucky. Twelve year old Josh Oakley promised to take care of the family until Pa came back from a summer job on a Mississippi steamboat. Now Pa is missing, the food about gone, and Ma and his little sister, Polly, are sick. When Ma says they should go to Pleasant Hill where the Shakers, take in anyone in need, Josh argues..."Pa said Shakers got strange ways. Don't allow marrying, shake and dance in Church" But Ma insists and Josh gives in. It's not like they'd be "Winter Shakers," living free until planting time then running off. He'd work hard, and Pa would return and pay the Shakers for their keep. But at Pleasant Hill the Oakleys are separated into "Shaker families". Ma, afraid she was dying, had signed a paper saying they'd join the Shakers if Pa didn't return. Josh plans to run off and find his father as soon as the weather improves. Then he sees Ma in Sunday meeting, swaying and singing like a regular Shaker, hears Polly using too much strange Shaker talk. If Shakers don't allow marrying, and break up families, he'd better find Pa before it's too late!