Mary accepts a teaching job located 40 miles away from Walnut Grove in a place called Willow Prairie.  It's the area's first school and Mary happens to be the school's second teacher.  The first teacher only lasted 4 days after having a few encounters with Miss Rachel Peel who, according to Reverend Alden, is a strong opinionated woman.  While up in Willow Prairie, Mary is staying the Fisher family: Husband Caleb, Wife Ellen, and little Katie.  It's a quiet household compared to what Mary is use to back home.  In fact Caleb does a good job of keeping his family in the dark about everything.  And at school, Mary is making some ground with her students' education but her oldest student, Joshua Bond,  is trying to get a different education from Mary.   Which is witnessed by Miss Rachel Peel.  This starts a domino effect that causes Mary to lose all her students and make the decision to return home to Plum Creek.  But, Mary isn't happy with having her name dragged in the mud and decides that she isn't exactly done with Willow Prairie and Miss Rachel Peel.  How long did Mary last up at the Willow Prairie school? Who wants to know more history about Miss Rachel Peel? Will Ellen Fisher start to ask more questions and maybe even start to learn to read?