Set in the autumn of 1941 in Salty Creek, a fishing village in South Carolina, the film tells the story of two lovers, Sophie Willis (
Julianne Nicholson), an artist who also fishes and sells crabs to the townfolk, the other a Japanese gentleman, Grover Ohta (
Takashi Yamaguchi) swept up in the tides of history.
As World War II rages in Europe, Mr. Ohta shows up in the town. He's been badly beaten. Sophie, a native of Salty Creek, quickly becomes transfixed by Mr. Ohta and a friendship born of their mutual love of art blossoms into a delicate and forbidden courtship. As their secret relationship evolves, the war escalates tragically. When Pearl Harbor is bombed, a surge of misguided patriotism, bigotry and violence sweeps through the town, threatening Mr. Ohta's life. A trio of women, each with her own secrets - Sophie, along with the town matriarch and her housekeeper, risk their lives with their actions.
Based on the novel by Augusta Trobaugh.