Eight-year-old Sarah's high spirits help make her family's long journey from Missouri to Oregon more bearable, though they do cause both her and her best friend Almira Ann some problems. Sarah Benton and her family set off on a journey westward, following the Oregon Trail. Sarah's best friend, Almira Ann, is on the trail, too. But the journey sours when Sarah unintentionally scares Almira Ann, causing her to fall out of the wagon and break her leg. As Sarah tries to mend her friendship with Almira Ann, she learns a valuable lesson about difficult, yet rewarding, jouneys.