When Leslie Cahill, a rancher's daughter, learns that her father plans to enroll her in Rosemount Academy, an exclusive girls' school in the city, she puts up every resistance she can muster. She doesn't understand the motivation behind his decision and feels rejected. Leslie loves her home, her life. Her greatest joy is riding her Appaloosa mare, Polly, over Eastern Washington's rolling hills. Leslie fails to change her father's mind and resorts to a more drastic plan. As a runaway, Leslie finds herself in Eastern Oregon's wilderness and its sprawling ranch country. She is unprepared for the trials that beset her - harsh land that presents frightening challenges and people who take advantage of her vulnerability. Along the way she also discovers kindness among strangers who help her find strength within herself to survive.