In the late 1850s, tales of gold from the West beckon those whose life back East holds little promise. In Missouri, a poor girl from a trashy family looks to escape a life of misery while a dissatisfied donkey breeder seeks a friend. In Indiana, a beautiful but pampered princess seeks a life with purpose while a crippled former soldier desires only a place to call his own. In Kansas, a captured Indian girl longs for a savior while a mountain man is unaware of what he really desires. It is only in the journey West that their dreams can come to fruition, with the help of guts, gold, and a little donkey named Trot.