Bill McLennan

The arrival of her first child should be a beautiful time for Laura, but it is tainted by Almanzo's increasingly bitter attitude, as well as the possibility that Laura and Almanzo might lose their home. Frustration meets with anger as Laura feels that her marriage is slipping away. When a tornado brings the Wilders to an all-time low, it might actually hold the key to both of their futures.

The marriage between Almanzo and Laura faces its first stern test when he falls seriously ill with diphtheria and later suffers a crippling stroke. Eliza Jane arrives to help care for her brother, but makes matters worse by babying him.