It is 1930, and budding artist Alma Combs is terrified of losing her father to a coal mining accident. Her worst fear nearly comes true when her father barely survives a mine explosion, prompting him to pull up his family's Kentucky roots and flee to Detroit, where he hopes to find better work, save money, and return home to buy a farm. But as Alma arrives on Woodward Avenue with her family in the midst of the Great Depression, she soon realizes that nothing will ever be the same again.
As her father finally secures a job, Alma and her brother attempt to shed their hillbilly image and begin school. Their mother faces a difficult pregnancy. It is not long before the challenges of the times overwhelm the family, leading them to experience prejudice and tragedy as never before. (But there are happy times, too) As Alma grows up, she must learn to deal with a vulgar uncle, whose lustful looks frighten her; a pitiful aunt who is hiding a shameful secret; and her younger sister, whose promiscuity may lead to heartbreak.
On Woodward tells the colorful tale of a young artist searching for beauty in her life as her family bravely faces monumental tribulations in Detroit during a turbulent time in American history.