 In 1947 at Coney Island, down-on-her-luck actress Lora Meredith and her young daughter Susie meet coloured Annie Johnson and her daughter Sarah Jane. Annie is desperate for a place to live and offers to work as Lora s maid for food and lodging. Lora s luck begins to change as a result of their meeting and their two stories unfold across the years. However, Annie s problems start when Sarah Jane tries to pass as white.