Drawn together by death, five orphans make their home in the hills of Pennsylvania in 1886. Charlotte Lange, her best friends, Rose and Izzy Holliman, and the man of her dreams and his brother, Braedan and Chas Egan, have gone against propriety and moved in with each other for company and protection. At 14, Charlotte knows that Braedan is the man for her, but he only sees her as a little girl he needs to protect.

Three years have gone by. The orphans are still friends, but their lives have changed drastically. Braedan still works in the mines, but his brother is away at medical school. Izzy has married a bad man, and Rose is working in town for a wonderful lady. The biggest change, however, is that Charlotte and Braedan discover their love for each other, only to have it ripped away by a cruel man. When disaster strikes, bringing everything to a head, will Charlotte and Braedan be able to rediscover their love?

Though this story has a slow beginning, it really comes to life with historical detail of the Johnstown flood, as well as an inspirational message.