As a teenager, Sarah Ross excels academically and athletically. Sarah loves horse riding and competing in school sports, but her involvement in these activities is limited by her controlling mother.

As a young woman in the 1950s, Sarah's aspirations of becoming a nurse continue to be challenged by the pressures of family tradition and the culture of the time. In the throes of a thriving career, Sarah attempts to balance work, marriage and motherhood despite ill health.

Her husband Jack, a simple yet loving man, cares for Sarah and their children. Isolated by stigma, the family's lonely battles are kept private within their home.

Meanwhile, Sarah and Jack's only daughter Grace navigates the tumultuous journey through adolescence despite great adversity.