During World War II, hard-luck farmer Clovis Nevels (Levon Helm) leaves his rural Kentucky home to take a factory job in bustling Detroit. Reluctantly accompanying Clovis is his long-suffering wife, Gertie (Jane Fonda), a talented woodcarver set in her traditional ways. When the perils of city life and Clovis' reckless squandering of money send the Nevels into precarious financial straits, Gertie starts a business making hand-carved dolls in order to provide for her family.