In 1964, Rose Hong, a glamorous Shanghai nightclub singer, meets Bill, an Australian sailor, and migrates to Victoria with her two children, Tom and May. However, their marriage is short-lived. Rose and her children move to Sydney, where she spends the next seven years working in Chinese restaurants. By then, Rose and Bill are attempting to reconcile and they try to live together. Much to her chagrin however, Bill's mother, Norma also lives in Bill's house. When Bill is called away by the Navy, a battle ensues between the two women for control of the house, a battle which Norma eventually wins. Rose moves into a new place with a new lover, Joe, a Chinese cook who is several years younger than her. But Joe soon feels the strain of being in a relationship with a middle-aged woman with two children. In fact, he finds that he has more in common with Rose's daughter, May. How will the conflict be settled?