From childhood Juliet Rose Dearbourne has planned to leave the dull land of her ancestors. But before she can escape, tragedy strikes the family. Not only is her mother killed in an accident, but their orange orchard is failing and the bank is demanding payment on the loans they took. Desperate to save their vulnerable orange orchard from insects and foreclosure by the bank, both her father, Quaid, and her brother, Sully, sail to Brazil to acquire a new variety of orange trees. There, they are captured by a primitive tribe in the jungle. Now, Juliet must bear the burden of caring for her younger sisters, but that doesn't thwart her desire to run away to be a star on the stage. Taking her sisters, she heads to New York where her journey to stardom is swift, but the price of fame is dear.