Larkspur Nielsen is ready for a change。 Her parents have passed on， and her older brother is successfully running the family business。 She bristles at the small-mindedness that permeates life in her small Ohio community， and she sees little chance of a satisfying future there。 She has a little money saved， and after turning the tables on a crooked gambler who had fleeced several locals， including her younger brother， she can stake a new start for herself and her three sisters。

As the gambler's threats of revenge echo in her ears， she and her sisters head to
Independence， Missouri， to join a wagon train bound for Oregon。 Knowing that four women traveling together will draw unwanted attention， Larkspur dons a disguise， passing herself off as "Clark" Nielsen， accompanying his three sisters。 But maintaining the ruse is more difficult than Larkspur imagined， as is protecting her headstrong， starry-eyed sisters from difficult circumstances and eligible young men。 Will reaching their goal prove too much for them？