The story is set in colonial Kenya in the 1920s. It centers on the life story of Markham, who became the first woman to fly solo across the Atlantic from east to west. Raised in Kenya, Markham cultivated a love for adventure beginning at a young age, but when it came to love, she found herself in one disastrous relationship after another. She eventually became involved in a love triangle with safari hunter Denys Finch Hatton and Karen Blixen, and, through her relationship with Hatton, discovered her love for flying.