The Luther family lives in a small cabin in the Appalachian Mountains. After the death of the father, Mary Call (played by Julie Gholson), the eldest daughter, takes it upon herself to take care of her siblings. She is determined to keep the family together and avoid being separated and sent to different foster homes.
The family lives in poverty and survives by selling the father's moonshine, which they make in secret. However, when the family's secret is discovered by a new schoolteacher, Kiser Pease (played by Harry Dean Stanton), he blackmails them into giving him a share of the profits.
Mary Call, along with her siblings, Roy Luther (played by Jan Smithers), Ima Dean (played by Helen Harmon), and Devola (played by Rebecca Callaway), hatch a plan to outsmart Pease and keep their moonshine profits. Along the way, they face several challenges, including a fire that destroys their home and an encounter with a group of orphaned children who are being sent to different homes.
Despite these obstacles, the Luther family perseveres and learns the importance of sticking together in tough times. The film ends on a hopeful note, with the family coming together to rebuild their home and continue their moonshine operation, but this time without the threat of blackmail hanging over their heads.
