Nancy and Dan meet as homeless youngsters in an orphanage in 1900 Victoria, BC. Later, their special friendship continues when they meet as adults. Dan gets a job in the disappearing whaling industry of the Pacific Coast. Nancy finds work in the kitchen of a hotel working her way up to waitress as she eagerly seeks independence from her restrictive and unhappy life at the orphanage. As prohibition approaches, a wealthy Seattle shipping magnate draws Dan into the dangerous but lucrative rum running trade as the world anxiously awaits news of WWI in Europe.