After attending Berkeley and pursuing her career in law, Alyse meets and marries George, a diplomat whose assignments take the couple from one developing country to the next. Alyse's cousin Catherine foregoes marriage in favor of a career in medicine and chooses to raise a child, David, alone.

When Alyse and George go to a new place, Catherine and David follow, allowing Catherine to train midwives and educate women about their health. Wealthy patrons in San Francisco set up a foundation to underwrite the women's work in some of the most underserved and desperate places in the world....