1829. Sainte-Suzanne, Bourbon Island. A Black orphan, a slave of only 7 weeks, is placed - as if by fate - into the arms of Ferreol Beaumont, a botanist with a passion for orchids. He raises this child, Edmond, teaching him all he knows of the lush plants that populate his tropical garden. At 12 years old, the illiterate young prodigy unlocks the secret to hand-pollinating the vanilla orchid, revolutionizing not only the island's economy but French patisserie, perfumes & more. While his discovery brings prosperity to others, the exhilarating aroma of the vanilla flower soon dissipates for Edmond as a bitter reality stretches out before him - his brilliance unrecognized, his name forgotten.