The trek along the Oregon Trail brings never ending challenges. Spring has come early along the Oregon Trail. Jenny Nation, her husband and five-year-old daughter are only three weeks into the trip by wagon train when Daniel is killed. Frozen in grief and fear, Jenny must make up her mind whether to press on with the train or turn around and go back to Independence. She chooses to go on, knowing she'll have to drive the wagon alone, care for the oxen, hunt for food, and possibly fight Indians. Through stultifying heat, terrifying storms, walking beside the oxen, a buffalo stampede, and the kidnapping of her daughter by the Comanches, Jenny refuses to give up. "Every step brings me closer to Oregon," she tells herself, over and over again. Jenny somehow finds romance with the train's guide, Zane Thatcher. To keep Jenny-a lone woman-from being thrown off the train as a burden, Zane agrees to be responsible for her. However, it isn't easy because Jenny insists on being independent and they argue at every juncture. In spite of it all, she faces the challenges of the trail with growing confidence, courage, and humor. "Every step...Oregon. Every step..."