At a gathering of foreign holders of U.S. scholarships, the Austrian student Inge catches the eye of a dashing young mining student from Burma, Sao Kya Seng. The adventurous Inge and the gentle man from a far-away country fall in love and marry. But it's only at the lavish wedding ceremony in Sao's homeland that Inge discovers Sao's true identity: He is the ruling prince of the Shan state of Burma.

For Inge, it's the start of a new, exotic life as a Shan princess. Aware of the many unwritten rules, Inge nevertheless tries to improve the lives of her subjects and often runs into problems among her own people: They are unwilling to challenge age-old conventions that discriminate against women and members of the lower classes.

After a coup staged by the Burmese military, Sao is imprisoned. With her forceful nature, Inge proves to be an ideal spokeswoman for her country and does everything she can to free him. Ultimately she and her children are forced to leave the country. With the Burmese Secret Service just one step behind, Inge catches a plane and flies to safety – but she will not sleep peacefully again until she finds her husband Sao.