Vivienne, Cathy, Heather and Grace have moved from their small country town to live with their mother in the city. It's wintertime, and city life isn't quite what they expected. Money is short with Dad away looking for work, there are new schools to adjust to, new friends - and enemies to be made, not to mention mean-spirited Aunt Elsie and her meddlesome ways. But are things really that bad? After all, spring isn't very far away.