America is a land that drew families away from their native countries, many seeking to escape the turmoil of war and strife, others from overcrowding, poverty, famine, or pestilence. Follow the lives of three families living in a small town in rural Minnesota, where second and third generations plus new arrivals are paving a new way of life but still holding tight to the traditions and history of their ancestors. They share friendship and faith during the 1930s, when prohibition followed with the depression are woven into their life experiences. They led rich, full lives filled with laughter and sharing in spite of these adversities.

Parents and grandparents were thankful that the children could grow up free from the fear and turmoil of war. They were grateful that they had found peace and the space for their families to not only grow but to excel in the peace and beauty of the Minnesota landscape.

They were thankful that they had found the strength, courage, and fortitude to leave their ancestral homes to forge new lives, and that they had found . . . the courage to rise from the ashes.