It's May of 1885, and Nora Beth Douglas is looking forward to spending her summer helping out on the family ranch and roaming the Colorado plains that she loves so dearly. But an invitation to visit her Eastern relatives' cottage on Nantucket Island unexpectedly threatens her plans. Although Nora Beth pleads to be allowed to stay home, her mother, who is determined to have her rambunctious tomboy of a daughter grow up to be a proper lady, insists that she go. Western independence and Eastern sophistication inevitably clash, as Nora Beth struggles to adapt to her new surroundings and cope with a pair of exasperating boy cousins. Can she win her relatives' friendship without having to change who she is? And will Nora Beth's big heart enable her to overcome her own prejudices, while still remaining true to her home?