Ella and Stanley Shouisky are a young Russian couple who recently immigrated to Hiems, New Hampshire, where they live in a small farmhouse. Stanley works at the local cotton mill. Ella is pregnant. Times are tough in the 1930s, and the mill is forced to make layoffs and wage cuts. Being the smart worker that he is, Stanley manages to keep his job. When the workers begin to organize a strike, Stanley is enlisted to be a leading figure in the movement. The strike, which lasts for months, garners national attention, inspiring support from nearby people and groups that advocate for workers' rights. A large gathering is held, with organizers coming from places like New York and Dartmouth College. After the meeting, the Shouisky couple house one of the college students, Randall Newhall, in their spare room. That night at dinner, Randall confides in them that he is a communist. He spends the evening professing his political views, inspiring the young couple to take up the cause with him. Eventually the strike ends and the cotton mill is forced to shut down. Many workers move out, but Stanley finds work at a lumber mill. A month before Ella's baby is due, the family gets another visit from Randall. This time he is accompanied by Mary, a young woman that Randall intends to marry. Randall passes along some reading material to Stanley, and the couples chat for the evening. Ella expresses her worries about raising a child in poverty, and Randall says that he and Mary would be willing to help if necessary. Randall recommends that, if the baby is a girl, they name her Vega, after the star that is visible that night. Vega is born on the farmhouse and the family lives happily for some years. Stanley attempts to teach his daughter about communism, but she is more interested in bird's nests. When Vega is eleven, her mother falls ill. Despite the doctor's best efforts, Ella Shouisky passes away. Vega and her father attempt to get by without her, but the absence of Ella takes a toll on them. Stanley is aware that he won't be able to provide the adequate care and support that Vega needs, so he sends a letter to the Newhalls. Mrs. Newhall responds, offering to allow Vega to stay with them in New York. When Stanley tells his daughter that he wants to send her away, she becomes distraught, but he eventually convinces her that it is for the best. Vega takes the trip to New York and meets Mary, who is no longer the young and vibrant woman that Stanley described her as. She rambles on about life in the neighborhood and her inability to have children of her own while they wait for Randall to get home for supper. When Randall arrives, Vega sees that the Newhalls have a strained relationship. They eat a cold supper. When Mary leaves the room, Randall asks Vega if her father is still a communist. She says yes, adding that she herself isn't interested in politics yet. Randall tells her that he had shed his views after he saw the harm that the political ideology had wrought. He becomes paranoid that Vega may be a spy sent to collect information on him. Vega tries to explain herself, but Randall doesn't believe her, going so far as to assault her. Vega returns to New Hampshire with a new political conviction. Randall Newhall's cruelty, coupled with the promising ideals of communism inspires Vega to follow in her father's footsteps and become a communist. Stanley lost his job at the lumber mill so the father and daughter now exclusively work on the farm, living meagerly. They own the last horse-drawn carriage in the region, quietly espousing their political values as the world moves on without them.