Prairie Lights tells the story of a Jewish brother and sister who journey west
on an Orphan Train in 1905. Arriving with other homeless youths in a tiny
Nebraska town just before the holidays, Benjamin and Rose are adopted by
Wellspring's only Jewish couple, Abe and Sophie Birnbaum. Devout 12-year-old
Benjamin clashes with Abe, a successful shopkeeper who has abandoned his
religion. Meanwhile, 15-year-old Rose falls secretly in love with a fellow
orphan, thus upsetting Sophie's marriage plans for the girl. Townsfolk are
further divided by the fearful banker, Maxwell Ryder, who wants to send all of
the orphans back to New York. As the town prepares for Christmas and Hanukkah
approaches, Benjamin finds himself enlisting the young people—orphans and local
kids alike—on a quest to reunite Wellspring.
