A pleasant, simple tale of a Tennessee mountain girl who meets the challenge of poverty, a large motherless family, the advent of a mean stepmother, the condescending friendship of two wealthy outlanders, and comes out on top. Laurel is drawn by the ambition to be a nurse -- and also by the wealth and glamour of two summer visitors to the mountains, but the responsibilities of family tie her down to a thankless, hard-working existence. But most important tie to the mountain life is the promise of Dave, who will return home in three years a doctor. Jeopardizing this future in favor of her own ambitions and pride, Laurel is in the end won back to Dave when he proves his love and Laurel finds a new independence in her tapestry making. Adequate, sympathetic tracing of a young girl's development.