In 1942, five-year-old Clara is abused by her aunt and branded a curse. The Harpers take her in, and good fortune follows. They find food. A hot spring helps Thomas recover. Those who hurt her pay dearly. Greed over her father's pension sparks an arson plot, leaving the family homeless. In the city, they save Frank, a stranger who gives them shelter. Jealous Dottie then has Clara kidnapped to sell her. Her father, thought dead in the Pacific, returns to save her. Finally, her mother's necklace reveals that Frank is her grandfather. The unwanted little girl finds the family she has always longed for.