On July 23, 1968 the Nasett family farmhouse, built in 1845, is leveled by fire that claims the lives of four family members, including Karen's mother. Forty years later, when her mother's heirloom plate is shattered, Karen is prompted to trace her roots. Guided by the ghosts of her ancestors, she records their journey from small farms nestled in the mountains and along the fjords in Norway, to Amerika and a small Norwegian settlement on the fertile prairie near Lake Koshkonong in the territory of West Konsin. In recalling the lives of family members she knew, and researching those of her pioneer ancestors, Karen documents their legacy and comes to terms with her loss.