All That Glitters is an historical piece that tells the story of Elizabet Lauderman, a young woman who lives a privileged life on the East Coast, but dreams of going off in search of adventure and adventurous men. Her opportunity arrives when she reads about a steamship that docks in San Francisco that is full of gold. So the adventure- seeking Elizabet goes off with her gold-seeking family friend to join the Klondike stampede.
The arduous journey proves to be too much for her friend, who abandons Elizabet part way up the Chilkoot Pass. But Ezekiel Kent, a strange mountain-man and long time prospector who has dropped out of society, finds her there. After a prickly beginning, the two of them reach an understanding and he agrees to watch over her and see her to Dawson. Along the way, Elizabet is drawn to the man who seems strangely distant and bent only on fulfilling his promise to her and nothing more. Elizabet needs and depends on Zeke's discipline and guidance but the man is sure that he doesn't need anyone. She has until Dawson to prove to him that he does.