This is the story of the illiterate African American seamstress Esther in early 1900's New York. While creating exquisite lingerie for her clientele of socialites and prostitutes, she is privy to their most private wishes and disappointments. Her own dreams of love, marriage and desire for a better life find her turning to the dangerous love of a man she knows only through a long distance correspondence. Her passion to break free and claim her right to love and live freely is an inspiration for all.