After watching her family brutally murdered by Kanak warriors, a young French girl, Helene, finds herself orphaned in 1800's New Caledonia. She is taught to overcome her fear of the Kanak people and learns to respect and admire their culture. Helene grows up and raises a family of two children, but racial tensions and tragedy see Helene widowed at a young age and she forced leave her family and farm to accept work at a nickel mine.