As she dips a cup of water from the barrel by the door and offers it to the weary traveler, Laura never dreams that she and this man would share a mutual secret to the grave."

Thus begins the saga of John and Laura Roth and their descendents; their hopes and dreams, trials and tribulations through 110 years on the sweeping Kansas plains.

We meet:

Eva, spoiled and willful, who "does what she has to do" to survive the depression.

Silas, who chooses an unorthodox way to deal with his wife's infidelity.

Gerald who, haunted by a phantom from a boyhood indiscretion, also harbors a lifelong secret.

And more.

The land, located on the western fringe of "The Heartland," one of the richest wheat and gas producing regions in the world, is a significant protagonist in this Southwest Kansas saga.