Ruth refuses to fall in with what's expected. She loves her life and living it her way. From surfing to hula dancing and not playing the silly gushing game over men in uniforms or swim trunks, her passion abounds in the glorious state of Hawaii in the 1930's and 1940's. The island of Oahu was bustling with Navy and air men stationed on the base. Going to school to become a nurse, she unexpectedly falls for a Navy man. Their lives finally steer together when the day that will live in infamy strikes the island. Bristling against what's expected, she finds herself engulfed in what is essential.