Ella Taylor is imprisoned for the murder of her husband leaving her two young daughters in the care of their paternal grandmother. Cassie, the eldest, rebels and ends up in a foster home but remains devoted to her mother. This devotion is the driving force behind the decisions Cassie makes while growing up and as a young woman. It has an effect on where she chooses to live, her relationships and all aspects of her life. She experiences great joy and immense tragedy but the reunion between mother and daughter is without doubt one of the happiest of times.