She arrived at Leaskdale, Ontario in October, where her husband served as the minister of St. Paul's Presbyterian Church.

The plot is based around the character Beverley who remembers his childhood days with his brother Felix and friends and cousins Felicity, Cecily, Dan, Sara Stanley (the "Story Girl" of the title), hired-boy Peter Craig and neighbour Sara Ray.

The children often played in their family's orchard and had many adventures, even creating their own newspaper, called Our Magazine.

They also are able to see the beginnings of a relationship between Peter and Felicity, as chemistry between them starts to build; it also seems that Beverley and Sara Stanley are drawn to each other but this is left undeveloped.

The novel ends after Sara's father collects her to give her a proper education and their small group is never complete again.