Premarital sex, secrets, and society. At 17, shy Susan Slade is on her way to California after a 10-year stay at a remote Chilean mine where her father was chief engineer. Onboard ship, she's romanced by Conn White, a handsome mountain climber on his way to Alaska. Home in Monterey, Susan longs to hear from Conn. Two locals also take a shine to her: Hoyt Brecker, a horse wrangler who's the son of a criminal; and Wells Corbett, a sweet guy who lives in his high-society parents' shadow. Jump ahead two years: Susan has a desperate secret that her socially-conscious mother won't let her share. Can Susan find happiness--and what is it really that turns a girl into a woman?