When Mercy's mother finally finds a job, an old friend offers them a room in her boarding house, where they spend many happy months together. Soon, however, Mercy's life is once again turned upside down when her mother is tragically killed in an accident. When they can't pay their rent, Mercy and Anna are forced to leave the boarding house and fend for themselves-alone and frightened in the back alleys of Trenton. The sisters eventually land in an orphanage where they do tedious work from dawn to dusk. Mercy and Anna's nights of sleeping on straw finally come to an end when a kind Quaker family steps in and changes their lives forever.

Can a young girl whose existence has consisted of one tragic event after another discover love, hope, and a true family? During Mercy's journey through life, she eventually learns to be grateful for her own happiness and the fulfillment of her simple needs.