Twenty-six-year-old Frenchwoman Avril Montdidier sails from Paris to Australia with a suitcase and a dream: to start her own fashion business. 1950s Melbourne is very different from the chic atelier of Dior where Avril once worked, but she is determined, courageous and resourceful. When personal circumstances force her to flee Melbourne, she travels to a cattle station in southern Queensland to work as a governess. It is here that Avril meets Tim: the eldest son of her benefactor and heir to Monaghan Station. Avril must grapple with her twin desires – her love for Tim, who is set to marry someone else, and her yearning for independence.