From the innocence of a small town in 1917 to the glamour of Hollywood in the 1940's, the Manning women learn to listen to their heart.

October, 1917 – Lena Garson, 19 years old, daughter of an old-fashioned banker and his wife, thinks of herself as a very well-brought up young lady leading a quiet life with a predicable future. When Clarence Muldoon, son of the richest man in town, begins to court her, Lena feels her life is now going in the direction her parents want for her.

April 1918 - When Lena Manning finds herself widowed after World War I, she must build a new life for herself and her infant daughter. With the help of her church, she finds stability and contentment until the arrival of a new pastor turns her quiet life upside down.

1937 - Jackie Manning Bradshaw. She'd inherited Jack Manning's bold heart, tempered once in a very great while by her stepfather's gentle upbringing and her mother's practical nature. But as far as Jackie is concerned, she'll need that bold heart to work her way onto the Broadway stage; the only place she's ever wanted to be.