Marriage and motherhood bring both joy and heart-break, as family matriarch Marta must surrender her long-held ambitions for the sake of her husband and children, including her daughter, Hildemara, upon whose shoulders her own hopes now squarely rest. Amid the drama of World War II, Hildemara falls in love and begins a family of her own. She wants her daughter, Carolyn, never to doubt her love – but the challenges of life conspire against her vow and the only person who can come to her aid is the person she remains so desperate to please – Marta, her mother.