Deidra Jensen, or "D" as she is called, lives in the Indian Territory in 1892 with her parents, Tor and Mary Jensen. Her folks have left her to watch their farm as they travel to Guthrie, Oklahoma Territory, to meet Lars, Tor's younger brother, and Elizabeth Jensen. D's father hopes that with his brother they can cultivate the abundant land that Tor Jensen owns along the Red River. It is Tor's plan to build them a cabin in the spring, but when Lars and his family arrive at the Jensen farm neither Tor nor Mary is with them. Instead, they carry two, large wooden barrels in their wagon. Tor and Mary had been murdered just outside of Guthrie. D does her best to help her aunt and uncle, especially Elizabeth and her two small girls. But it soon becomes apparent that Lars Jensen and his three oldest sons do not intend to build a new cabin when a perfectly fine one already exists. Set against the backdrop of the tumultuous history of the twin territories, D must somehow find an answer so that she can retain her own heritage and land.