In 1918, the Spanish flu wreaks havoc on the life of a Sicilian girl. She is left an orphan in Bagheria, Sicily with few prospects for a bright future. Even the local orphanage wonat admit her. A couple of offers come her way which would remedy her situation, but she doesnat want to compromise her values for a room and a plate of food. One day, a letter promising an offer of marriage brings Isabella to New Orleans. Barely settled, she finds herself caught in a conspiracy that is a vortex of greed, power and prejudice. In the end, her American dreams were very different from what she had imagined.