Aging Larry Cook announces his intention to turn over his 1,000-acre farm - one of the largest in Zebulon County, Iowa - to his three daughters, Caroline, Ginny, and Rose. A man of harsh sensibilities, he carves Caroline out of the deal because she has the nerve to be less than enthusiastic about her father's generosity. While Larry Cook deteriorates into a pathetic drunk, his daughters are left to cope with the often grim realities of life on a family farm - from battering husbands to cutthroat lenders.