Caroline and Jess don't know what to make of their prim and proper grandmother. She's traveled all the way from South Carolina to the Dakota prairie to help out while their pa recovers from his injuries. Caroline and Jess must call her Mrs. Ravenell instead of Grandmother. They can't believe this stern woman is the mother of their own loving mother, who died just last year. But little by little Caroline sees just what kind of woman her grandmother really is, as they face spring planting, a prairie tornado, their shared grief, and an unexpected surprise.