In 1886, following the tragic deaths of her father and her fiancé, Laura Jennings, alone in the world, travels to Hawaii to live with missionary relatives she's never met. Laura imagines she'll live in a grass hut and minister to savages, but on arriving in Honolulu, she's surprised to find that, far from being savages, the Hawaiians have developed a sophisticated and prosperous kingdom-and Laura's family is among the wealthy elite plotting to topple the throne. To avoid her conniving uncle's control, Laura goes to work for the royal family, little knowing that her destiny will become intertwined with those of great island sovereigns.