Growing up with an abusive father, young Gertrude Flint has learned to fend for herself. Upon his death, she is shifted off to a guardian, Nan Grant, who uses Gertrude for financial compensation. The girl is taught that she has no real value in the world and must only hope to be married off to someone reasonably well-off in order to survive, or to become a household servant. At the age of 8, Gertrude is rescued and taken in by Trueman Flint, a local lamplighter. He has watched how badly Nan treats the girl and offers to take her off Nan's hands.
Trueman and Gertrude struggle to get along at first. Gertrude's orphan mentality has caused her to become a stubborn, offensive, and rebellious child. She will not obey nor does she see any wrong in looking out for herself at the expense of others. Through patience, Trueman instructs Gertrude in a different way at viewing the world. He is a reserved Christian man who teaches Gertrude that she's valuable and that Jesus considered her personally so valuable that he was willing to die to show her how to live. At first Gertrude has no capacity for understanding Christian theology, but she focuses on Trueman's primary message: try to do good things. As she tries, she learns that a virtuous life is extremely rewarding.
As a young woman, Gertrude pursues writing. Her character transforms in leaps and bounds as she throws herself into this idea of modeling piety and virtue. Because the love which the lamplighter showed her taught Gertrude to lover herself, she now looks around her and sees people as opportunities to return the favor and share that love. Her writing becomes wildly successful. Even in her fame, however, her pastor notes how content and unspoiled Gertrude remains. She didn't need the success, so she doesn't dwell on it except to rejoice in how many people she's taught the message of love.
