It's 1868 and 13-year-old Charlotte and her family are making the long trip west from Massachusetts to the Arizona Territory. When Indians attack their stagecoach, Charlotte escapes and is befriended by an aging Pima Indian woman. Through their relationship, Charlotte learns her own strength as a young woman and develops a new sense of courage and responsibility. These are skills she'll need as she faces the dangers of the desert and tries to build a life in a new land without the comforts of family.