At the turn of the century, young Melanie Daniels feels trapped in her tiny Adirondack village. Some years before, her father, Dr. Daniels, went to prison for accidentally killing a woman while performing an illegal abortion. Now the family are pariahs. Melanie sees her chance for escape when she meets James, a paper mill salesman. They elope to New York City, which gets Melanie into more trouble than she could have imagined. However, she reinvents herself as an actress in the risque' world of Broadway. Events that happen there force her to take action, and examine her feelings toward her father's crime. From the backwoods of the Adirondacks to the bright lights of Broadway, Elisa tells Melanie's story with an unparalleled feeling for backstage life, passion, and wit.