Twelve-year-old Belle loses her mother in an automobile accident. Her father Cody struggles to raise his daughter. Her rebellious behavior forces Cody to send Belle to her grandfather's farm to live with him. Belle learns that on a farm, it is the survival of the fittest, but she cannot handle the thought of an animal (or any life for that matter) not being worth saving unless it's useful. Is she useful? Belle soon becomes the savior of all living things. An old thoroughbred race horse and Atticus the dog change Belle's life, and in turn Belle changes the lives of those who love her. Like the films' title, various sub-plots all lead back to a single conclusion, and nature has a way of providing the direction. A single truth about family, love, precious life and the detours along the way that can and do lead us to a better place, eventually leading us back home.