Little Jean's life shatters on Pearl Harbor Day, when her mother, just 35, dies of pneumonia. Seven-year-old Jean and her three sisters are thrust into an unknown orphanage life, when her father says, "I'll be back soon." So much for promises. Struggling through hardships, the resilient orphans look for sunshine in a world of darkness. Worries of separation and fears about the future cloud Jean's childhood. But she never loses hope, wishing for things other children take for granted. Eventually her wishes are fulfilled.