Sarah, a poorly educated but intelligent orphan-girl in the 1930s, is seduced and, being destitute, is forced to leave her precious baby outside a hospital. We follow her struggle to make a life for herself and simultaneously follow the life of the baby, Linda, who is adopted by caring parents. They insist on telling her shes adopted and this creates an identity problem - she only feels happy when pretending to be someone else which results in her becoming a world class actress. Strange circumstances bring the two of them together and we see what happens then.