Who we are is often influenced by where we are born, and by the family that raises us, the friends who surround us, and the folks who rule us; in America, we may not have an acknowledged caste system, yet one exists the moment that power or privilege, trial or tribulation, disease or destitution cradles us to its nourishing bosom. Tony Siciliani is a young man of humble means who has lost his health. He begins an obsessive quest to find a cure for his ailment. He feels isolated from a world that seems not to value a man who is ill and has no family. Lake Seville is a young, beautiful heiress who lives the lifestyle of the fabulously wealthy. She goes wherever she wants, owns whatever she wants, does whatever she wants; then, she abruptly loses her fortune and her health, and eventually meets Tony, whom she ordinarily would have shunned. Now, Tony and Lake will try to help each other discover who they really are, endeavor to bridge the societal chasm that exists between them, and in so doing, find out if they are truly able to love each other.