Mamie Stover is a young and beautiful prostitute living in San Francisco on the eve of World War II. After a run-in with the police, she is forced to leave the city and heads to Hawaii in search of a new beginning. There she meets a science-fiction writer named Jim Blair and falls in love with him. Despite her troubled past, Jim treats her with the kindness and respect she deserves, and Mamie finally feels like she has found a true home.
But Mamie's past cannot be erased so easily and she struggles to break free from her old way of life. She continues to sell her services to sailors stationed in town, unable to resist the lure of easy money. As the war intensifies and Hawaii becomes a crucial base for the American military, Mamie finds herself caught up in a web of corruption and deceit. She must fight to maintain her independence and integrity, while navigating the dangerous waters of wartime Hawaii.
To establish financial stability, Mamie invests in several properties and becomes quite wealthy. But her reputation as a prostitute follows her, making it difficult to gain acceptance in polite society. Despite the challenges, Mamie refuses to give up and fights to make a new life for herself. In the end, she comes to understand the true meaning of love and sacrifice, and finds redemption in the most unexpected places.