In the midst of the Great Depression, Ella Barron strenuously works to keep her Texas boardinghouse up and running. Between cooking, cleaning, and caring for her misbehaving child, Ella struggles to get by. However, when the enigmatic David Rainwater shows up out-of-the-blue, looking for room and board, Ella happily takes him in. But when Conrad Ellis and his gang of hoods threaten violence, Ella and Rainwater are put to the test.