With three young children at her side, Sarah Ann arrives in the beautiful upper John Day Valley in 1869, a young widow whose husband had disappeared in an Indian raid on their way west. In 1870, she marries Thomas Martin and begins her life as a rancher's wife. She and Thomas are successful, hardworking pioneers who love their land and take seriously the job of rearing and educating their nine children. On her one trip back to New York to visit her mother, Sarah Ann discovers she has been living a lie. The truth liberates her from the reserved stoic nature she has portrayed toward others during her first forty years. The last quarter of the century becomes a backdrop for a modern woman of subtle influence. Experiencing a new self-worth, Sarah Ann shares her ideas and wisdom with her family and community while never disclosing her secret.