In 1840 Massachusetts, 11-year-old Etta and her brother and sister are wards of the state, sent to separate foster homes. Etta's latest foster situation is miserable and she runs away, hoping to find some way to reunite her family under one roof. As she hides from authorities and tries to figure things out, she meets another runaway, a boy named Walter who has serious family problems of his own. Etta and Walter eventually work together, facing their difficulties. But will they ever realize their dreams of having a happy family?