When Dr. Jaquith meets Charlotte Vale she is living with her overbearing mother and is on the verge of a nervous breakdown.
Under Dr. Jaquith's care Charlotte gets better and he arranges for her to go on a cruise. On the boat Charlotte meets and falls in love with Jerry Durance who is married and cannot leave his wife. Charlotte tries to move on with her life but she can't stop thinking about Jerry. Soon Charlotte befriends Jerry's troubled daughter, Tina.
Through her relationship with Tina Charlotte will form an unbreakable bond with Jerry.