Harriet Caldwell, the daughter of a wealthy shipping company, is trying to make it in the world of business. But when her father, the founder of Caldwell's respected trucking company, suffers a stroke, intrigue and hatred suddenly erupt in the family dynasty. In addition, adventurer Frank Maynard crosses Harriet's path, who wants to show her a completely different life in the world of film. All are put to the most difficult tests when a severe earthquake hits San Francisco in 1906. The first part of Caldwell's family saga tells about the beginnings of California between 1898 and 1926, about the fate of a rich shipping family, the birth of the silent film era, and above all about one great love.