Kicked out of the Mormon church for having sex out of wedlock, headstrong Ava drags her rigid twin sister Lavinia through the dangerous California wilderness in search of a new life with their uncle, who is rumored to have found gold in a nearby town. When they find themselves lost, alone, and out of food, the twins must decide whether to push on toward a life that is unknown but free or to return to a life that is certain but stifling.