The true story of two teenage girls from different cultures, whose paths intertwine, dramatically altering the course of their lives.

Mei is an artist whose life has been disrupted by the Vietnam War. Her anguished parents send her away on a perilous escape during the exodus of thousands of Vietnamese refugees known as Boat People. In Mei's words we learn of the dangers she faces caring for her two younger siblings on a sea journey fraught with hunger, thirst and deprivation, leaving behind everything she loves to find refuge for her family.

Hannah is an angry, outcast seventeen-year-old American high school student. When Hannah learns of the plight of the Boat People, she is moved to action. In this testament to the power of love and the spirit of volunteerism, Mei and Hannah come together in celebration of culture and language, food and friendship, and the ultimate rescue of both young women from their own despair.