This Christian-based epic is the story of young people caught up in the social and political changes of the 1960s as women demand more freedom to pursue careers and young men are pulled into war in the distant small country of South Vietnam. Clouding relationships are disagreements on whether or not war is an effective answer to conflicts among those with philosophical and economic differences.

Leslie Moore is twelve years old when she meets Michael Wright, the nephew of her new step-mother. She is immediately attracted to the handsome and thoughtful young man who plans to follow the tradition of his ancestors and become a career officer in the U.S. Army.

Michael is enamored with Leslie and the two seem destined for marriage as soon as they both graduate from college.

During their teen years, church and school activities are the most important aspects of their lives. Each struggles to control hormones and physical desires in order to remain true to their beliefs in abstinence until marriage.

Unfortunately, Leslie and Michael have very different opinions about both war and her role in the potential marriage. Since his early teen years, Michael's mind has been set and, on various occasions, he has let Leslie know he expects the woman he marries to be a full-time wife and mother.

Leslie, however, believes women should be free to enjoy a career along with marriage and motherhood. Each time she reveals her desires to family and friends, she is rebuffed. While she wants to discuss with Michael her possible career as a journalist, she fears his reaction and remains silent on the subject until the day he proposes marriage to her.

Attempting to break up the couple and claim Michael for herself is the beautiful and very rich Nancy Owens. Her brother Sam is Michael's best friend.

Leslie's impulsiveness and Nancy's conniving activities change the futures of everyone connected to the young people.

Reacting to the behaviors of the two young women, Michael joins the Army and trains to fly the new and very dangerous Cobra helicopters. The Army assigns him to Vietnam to serve his first tour of duty.

When Michael's chopper crashes and he becomes classified as MIA-POW, Leslie heads for the war zone to find him and bring him home. Her dream is to marry Michael and for them to spend the rest of their lives residing in the beautiful and historic Magnolia Manor, the home in which she has grown up.