Born into an aristocratic family, beautiful Amy Lovell leads a whirlwind life of extravagant parties and debutante balls. But Amy, curious about the world beyond the narrow confines of her class, is ill-suited to a life of indulgence. Eagerly embracing a nursing career, she is drawn into the radical politics of the day. As the spectre of war looms, Amy's bittersweet love for the proud miner Nick Penry - a love which defies the differences between them - leads them to the conflict in Spain, where love and pain become inseparable agonies.