American travel journalist Sophie Matthews is searching for that elusive place called home. Working for Constar Communications has allowed her to see the world and experience different cultures, but the nomadic lifestyle has not enabled her to have much of a personal life. As she approaches her fortieth birthday, Sophie's priorities shift and she decides to quit her job to pursue a different dream-meeting a man, settling down, and starting a family. Her boss, Greg Sullivan, has one request-that Sophie complete her last assignment featuring the life of artist/writer Marina Suarez. During World War II, Marina's entire village was captured by Japanese soldiers leaving Marina as the sole survivor. How she was able to survive the slaughter of her village and family remains a mystery. Sophie is intrigued by the assignment, but hesitant to return to the Philippines, which left her with a broken heart ten years ago at the hands of Eric Santiago, the only man she has ever loved. As fate would have it, Sophie soon finds herself in the busy streets of Manila and crosses paths with Eric Santiago once again. As Sophie tries to unravel the mystery of Marina's life, she learns that Eric is the only one who can help her put the pieces together. But when she discovers Marina's deep, dark secret, little does Sophie know that it will change her life forever.