In the 1940s, Southern midwife Charlie Kate Birch (Gena Rowlands) is given a lucky charm after healing a brutalized black man. In no time at all, her good-for-nothing husband skips town, leaving her happily in charge of the family. Charlie's daughter, Sophia (Mimi Rogers), however, dreams of finding a steadfast man -- but after her first husband dies, her prospects become bleak. Meanwhile, Charlie's granddaughter, Margaret (Susan May Pratt), must compete with their contrasting influences.
In the 1940s, Southern midwife Charlie Kate Birch (Gena Rowlands) is given a lucky charm after healing a brutalized black man. In no time at all, her good-for-nothing husband skips town, leaving her happily in charge of the family. Charlie's daughter, Sophia (Mimi Rogers), however, dreams of finding a steadfast man -- but after her first husband...