An orphan raised in Valparaiso, Chile, by a Victorian spinster and her
rigid brother, vivacious young Eliza Sommers follows her lover to
California during the Gold Rush of 1849. Entering a rough-and-tumble
world of new arrivals driven mad by gold fever, Eliza moves in a society
of single men and prostitutes with the help of her good friend and
savior, the Chinese doctor Tao Chi'en. California opens the door to a
new life of freedom and independence to the young Chilean, and her
search for her elusive lover gradually turns into another kind of
journey. By the time she finally hears news of him, Eliza must decide
who her true love really is.