As a single mother of five, Millicent Torkelson is a do-it-yourselfer with a flair for finding ingenious ways to make ends meet and making the best of bad times. Her oldest daughter Dorothy Jane is a sensitive dreamer who finds solace by talking to the "man in the moon"; meanwhile, Dorothy Jane's siblings--Steven Floyd, Ruth Ann, Chuckie Lee, and Mary Sue--easily get themselves in and out of trouble.