Helga Crane is a 22-year-old woman, teaching in the all-black school of the small city Naxos. Born out of a mixed marriage, she cannot feel herself fitting in neither the black nor in the white community. Being unsatisfied with her job, she decides to leave Naxos for good. She travels to Chicago and then to Harlem and starts living with Anne Grey, a wealthy and stylish woman strongly concerned about the racial inequality. For a short period of time Helga is happy – she participates in a variety of public events, meets a lot of new people and runs into the director of the school in Naxos and her former boss, Dr. Anderson, for whom she starts to have feelings. As time passes, she finds herself unsatisfied with the life in Harlem and resolves to visit her relatives in Denmark.
In Denmark, she’s looked upon as an exotic creature. Her aunt and uncle dress her up in provocative clothes and present her in their social circle in order to gain attention. An extravagant painter does a portrait of Helga and asks her to become his wife. She doesn’t agree and her discontent with her present situation begins to grow. Soon, she receives a letter from Anne that she and Dr. Anderson have decided to get married. Not much later, Helga returns to the States.
Back in New York, Helga starts visiting many parties, seeking to be admired. On an occasion of the kind, she meets Dr. Anderson who, in the course of the evening, kisses her passionately. However, few days later he explains to Helga that this kiss has been a mistake. Helga wanders on the streets in the rain and accidentally stumbles upon a religious meeting where she becomes converted. She seduces the Reverend Green and moves with him to the countryside. At first, she is happy with her life and strives to be a good and presentable wife. However, as she gives birth to many children, she soon begins feeling exhausted and continues living a life of discontent.
