1876. An Irish orphan with a dark past, young Fiona Shanahan emigrates to America and finds a safe haven where she reinvents herself. A lucky encounter lands her a spot on the Broadway stage, becoming a rising star until she flees to Chicago after a violent encounter. Theater magnate Julius DeMonte, offers her sanctuary aboard his showboat, Queen of Dreams, on its maiden voyage down the Mississippi. As they travel southward to New Orleans, Fiona...