America beckons with opportunity during the 1850s. Louisa Mueller, a baker's daughter, arrives in Elm Ridge, Illinois with determination to learn English and work as a baker. Since the death of her sweetheart a year ago, she pushes aside thoughts of marriage. However, she's intrigued by a fellow passenger who tells the most interesting stories. Desperate for a fresh start, a young thief takes the name Hans Hoffmann when a look-alike passenger dies...