This sequel to A Day No Pigs Would Die picks up two weeks after Haven Peck’s funeral. Robert loves school, especially English,
but must stop attending regularly to assume his father’s
place as head of the household. He works his family’s small farm and also takes work from the neighbors to make mortgage payments. On his first morning working at the Harpers’, Ben is reshodding his stallion in preparation for the breeding that will take place later that day. Unfortunately, the owner of the mare comes riding in early and drunk. Ben and Robert lose control of the eager stallion, Ben gets bitten, and Robert must hold Ben while his wife stitches him up.
This is just the beginning of all the disasters that befall Robert. One by one, the family’s farm animals dies off. The beloved ox goes first, and Robert can no
longer plow the fields. The cow is next, sold to a company that manufactures dog food because she can no longer produce milk. Most of the chickens stop laying eggs, and only three make it through winter. Even Miss Sarah, the family cat, dies.
The economic hardships of the Depression are compounded by drought, and everyone’s crops dry up. After hauling water for days trying to keep his crops alive, Robert knows he is beaten. He takes work at a feed store, but wages have dropped severely. Robert misses mortgage payments and cannot pay their property taxes.
Romance blossoms when Becky Tate takes Robert to the dance and on a private picnic at which Robert experiences his first kiss. Realizing how serious Robert’s poverty has become, Becky starts bringing him food for lunch. Soon, Robert is reduced to working for food scraps to feed his aging mother and aunt and eating feed corn for sustenance.
The bank finally forecloses, and Robert and his family are given a place to live over the feed store. All their friends and neighbors bring wagons to help them move, as well as lots of food. The owner of the feed store gives them a Christmas tree and decorates it with hardware from the store. Robert realizes that not only has he become a man over the past several months, but also how lucky they all are to know such good people. Being firmly rooted in his Shaker faith, Robert believes himself blessed by all they have.