Mary dreaded the day she'd get married since she was a child. In a time when arranged marriages were the norm, she knew her marriage would be arranged for her, just like it had been for her sister. In hope of escaping her parents control for some time, she moved to her brother's ranch to work for him. During her time there, she learns to love animals even more than she already had as a child. When her parents send a letter asking her to come back, everyone knows it's time for her marriage. With following her parents' orders being the only option left, she begins her way home on horseback.