Marilyn Dawson, Doris Corrigan, and Marge Frederiksen, or "The Robey Girls," have lived most of their long lives in the small rural town of Newaygo, Michigan, where the local Robey Tackle Company factory was converted from the manufacture of various canvas and clothing items into making over-the-shoulder covers for the trench digging shovels the soldiers carried during World War II. The women talk about life on the home front in a small Midwestern town; one day at the factory, Doris drove one of the industrial sewing machine needles straight through her finger, and the boss, Mr. Robey, took the needle out of the machine while it was still imbedded in her finger, and walked her straight down the street to Doctor Moore’s office. Both Doris and Marge married men in the service, while Marilyn’s fiancée was killed in action during the war.