Eliane Devries, a wealthy French plantation owner in colonial French Indochina, lives a life of privilege and power. She adopts Camille, the orphaned daughter of her friends, raising her as her own. Eliane has an affair with a young French naval officer, Jean-Baptiste, whose arrival stirs emotions. Camille grows up witnessing the complexities of colonial life and becomes an intelligent and independent young woman.

Camille falls in love with Jean-Baptiste without knowing about his past relationship with Eliane. The burgeoning romance poses a threat to the existing social order. Camille's growing awareness of her native roots and colonial oppression fuels a desire for change. As tensions rise within the colony, personal conflicts mirror the impending political upheaval in Indochina.