Widow Mary Bassett (Helene Joy) and her 3 children have hit difficult times on their farm; it is especially apparent when they cannot even afford a turkey meat for their Thanksgiving dinner. Oldest daughter Tilly (Tatiana Maslany) writes to Mary's wealthy and estranged mother Isabella (Jacqueline Bisset), exaggerating their situation in a lengthy letter. Isabella comes to the farm to offer her help and finds a kindred spirit in Tilly. However, Mary resents her mother's attempts to help them out of their financial difficulties.