A young woman named May falls in love with a soldier during the Second World War. Reluctantly, she leaves her home on the island of St. Helena to follow him back to England.
In England, she faces the trials of wartime love, motherhood, and prejudice. After the war, when her beloved returns, she is heartbroken to find she no longer recognizes the man she once loved. Social stigma prevents her from divorcing him, so she endures his abuse for the sake of their daughter. Eventually, when her husband is forced to leave, May struggles to raise her daughter alone and finds new love, only to have it taken away.
In the twilight of her years, she finally meets a man who dances with her among the roses.