In 1891, newlyweds Rannei and Arne Bergstrom arrive in New York City full of hope and awe. They've left behind family, friends, and civilization in Norway in search of fertile farmland and a place to start a family.

A fellow passenger on the train west convinces Arne to try his hand at sheep-ranching on The Big Gumbo, an inhospitable piece of earth in South Dakota. Arne is enchanted with the notion of taming the unforgiving landscape, but Rannei dreads the isolation and lack of female companionship.

Life on The Big Gumbo is difficult and threatens to rip their love apart and tear their dreams to shreds. Relying on her uniquely feminist version of ancient Norse Gods, Rannei must find her way through the darkest time of her life to keep her marriage and love for Arne whole.