The Great Depression has hit West Virginia hard. Men are out of work; women struggle to feed hungry children. Luckily, Nurse Becky Myers has returned to care for them. While she can handle most situations, Becky is still uneasy helping women deliver their babies. For these mothers-to-be, she relies on an experienced midwife, her dear friend Patience Murphy.

When her husband is imprisoned for his pacifist stance when the U.S. enters World War II, midwife Patience Hester fights for her husband's release while running her practice in the face of hostile neighbors.