1903: Mary Mackenzie makes an epic journey to Manchuria to wed her dashing fiance Richard Collingsworth. But the region is on the brink of war, and Mary's life proves very different from what she imagined.

Trapped in an unhappy marriage and with her husband away for a year, Mary finds love with a Japanese nobleman. Now she is pregnant...

On his father's instructions, Mary's son has been abducted.

Although resigned to never finding her son, Mary has remained in Japan and is now an extremely successful businesswoman. But with war brewing in Asia, Mary finds her position as a foreigner growing increasingly difficult. Mary receives a visit from Isabelle de Chamonpierre who tries to persuade her to return to Europe.