When an old cowboy friend asks Luke to escort his family, freshly arrived from Poland, to their new home in the West, our lonesome hero has no idea what sort of difficulties to expect. If the Sterns are brave and resolute, they are also ignorant of American ways – and bring with them a multitude of baffling customs. And as if that wasn't enough, the extremely valuable Torah that travels with them has caught the eyes of some unsavoury characters...