Laura and her family move to Minnesota where they live in a dugout until a new house is built and face misfortunes caused by flood, blizzard, and grasshoppers.
Laura is growing up and in addition to working hard to earn money to help send Mary to a school for the blind, her social life is becoming more interesting and includes a blossoming friendship with Almanzo Wilder.
After an October blizzard, Laura's family moves from the claim shanty into town for the winter, a winter that a Native American has predicted will be seven months of bad weather.