 Almonzo s continued morose outlook on life during his recovery from a crippling stroke, not to mention Eliza Jane s pampering, takes its toll on the Wilder marriage. Not even the birth of the couple s daughter, Rose, seems to help matters. Then, a massive tornado destroys the Wilder home, and Laura is badly injured; she recovers, but goes into shock when she sees a pile of rubble instead of the slightly damaged home she thought was there. Laura becomes severely depressed, leading Almonzo to finally realize his outlook has rubbed off on his wife; he makes good on a promise to change his attitude 180 degrees and rebuild not only their home but what was a crumbling marriage. In the end, the Wilder marriage becomes stronger for the "Days of Sunshine, Days of Sorrow" they had just went through.