After an arduous voyage from Napoli in the summer of 1914, eighteen-year-old Joan Passerini arrives in New York City with her mother and brother in hopes of building a better life. Finding neither the milk or honey America had promised, Joan is quickly disenchanted with the city; the heat and noise and poverty are oppressive, and her father, who journeyed ahead to find work and accommodations, is nowhere to be found. Tucked into a disorganized laundry, Joan meets an unlikely companion named Paloma Morello, who is as secretive as she is beautiful. As Joan develops an intense attraction to her, she discovers that though things aren't always as they seem, all love is sanctuary.