In 1924, Claire Beatty still grieves over the loss of her family to Spanish Influenza. Stoically facing a lonely middle age, Claire gets an unexpected chance to change her life with the decision to assist rescue workers in Constantinople. When a new friendship prompts Claire to endure a grueling journey deeper into the "mysterious orient," she is drawn into the challenges of life in a foreign culture, the drama of court intrigue, and a fondness for a king she has never met.