Elizabeth "Bette" Leigh Black comes of age in the years before World War II. Although money is scarce in the aftermath of the Depression, her home life is happy and filled with love, and Bette dreams of one day having her own family. But as the war taints their sheltered world, Bette begins to realize life is sometimes cruel—and not everyone has the happiness she does.

Eagerly and secretly, she becomes involved in anti-Nazi espionage, even though it forces her to lie to her fiancé and others. After the war, she says "I do" and retires from her work, but she discovers that married life is not the happily-ever-after dream she imagined. When unexpected hardships arise, she is forced to rely on her own strength, make some painful decisions, and take the necessary steps to finally win true happiness.