A young girl faces an uncertain future after the loss of her entire family in a fire. Sarah's Spring is her story told in her own voice. Accompanied only by her cat, Sarah Budd ventures from villages on the Delaware River to a farm on the edge of the Pine Barrens named Bittersweet Acres.

Set in southern New Jersey in the 1870s, the novel provides a glimpse of social mores of the times as Sarah faces her fears with determination and resilience. She must make her way through a world of secrets and mysteries, shattered hopes, and disappointments in order to find a new family and a purpose for her life.