Daniel is moody, defiant, talented. Expelled from his last school, he is now at Dartington Hall, a progressive school in England. But even here, the teachers find this rebellious teenager difficult, and it's not long before he is in serious trouble.

Then one day Daniel sees Esther, a new girl, younger than he, whose proud, distant beauty touches his heart. Esther is Viennese, and her parents are actively fighting the Fascist takeover of Austria. Things begin to change for Daniel as his love for Esther grows.