Nineteen-year-old Christy Huddleston arrives from Asheville to teach in the poverty-stricken community of Cutter Gap, where she must learn to live on her own and fit it with the locals. Christy makes friends with Miss Alice at the Mission, the local doctor and the Reverend. Meanwhile, Christy and Dr. MacNeill spend some "quality" time together and the discovery of a secret stash of moonshine beneath the school causes problems for David and Christy.

Rob Allen enters a writing contest and Little Burl is injured when he falls through a crevice in the rocks.

When Opal's baby girl dies because of backwoods superstitions, Christy is appalled. Meanwhile, Tom McHone seeks refuge at the mission after being shot and accused of telling the authorities about the moonshining operation.

Christy is introduced to Aunt Polly and David rubs Ault Allen the wrong way.

Dr. Ferrand, mission director, pays a visit to Cutter Gap. Christy receives a large number of donations from Ashville, including equipment to hook up a phone line to El Pano.

Christy meets Hattie McHabe, the oldest Cutter Gap resident. Meanwhile, Theodore S. Harland arrives to record the folklore of the cove, or so he says, and Miss Alice's daughter, Margaret, returns from ""the dead.""