In 1847, Katie O'Neill (Susan Hayward), the vibrant daughter of a wealthy horse-breeding family, falls in love with a farmer named Paul Van Riebeck (Tyrone Power), who unfortunately must leave Ireland and return home. The following year, after marrying another man, Katie and her kin flee to South Africa to escape the potato famine. Life in the new world is fraught with danger, but even more perilous than the native attacks is Von Riebeck's return, which causes Katie's heartstrings to stir.
