Cassie can't remember when she last tasted huckleberry pie. Ever since war broke out between the states, her life in Mississippi has changed. Her father is fighting with General Lee's army. Her mother spends hours tending wounded soldiers at the hospital.

But when Cassie picks a bucket of huckleberries, her mother provides her with enough flour and sugar to make a pie. So, while keeping an eye on her younger brother and sister, Cassie cuts long strips of dough. Suddenly, a neighbor brings word that Union soldiers are close by stealing food. Cassie and her siblings hurry to hide their pork, cheese, and sack of potatoes. Then Cassie gets an idea of how she might keep the Union soldiers from discovering her family's precious food. She proves that huckleberries are useful for more than making pies.