It's 1929 in Brooklyn, New York. Wall Street is to see the beginning of what became "The Great Depression." The good times of the Twenties were suddenly over. Katrina Wuest, sixteen, a daughter of German immigrants, loses her job, and is thrown out of the house by her abusive father. Out on the street with only the clothes she has on her back and two nickels in her pocket, she roams the pavement cold, defenseless and scared. With no other choice she uses one of her coins and calls Rosie, a girl she's met at work. Rosie's single and living on her own. She boards and feeds Katrina until she finds work.
In a blind date set up by Rosie, Katrina meets and falls in love with John Donovan, a trumpet player. She lands a job at a garment factory. During a party Johnny hears Katrina sing. "Your voice is Kate Smith wonderful," he tells her. He has connections that give Katrina a chance to try out for the Amateur Hour on KOIL radio. She wins and becomes a regular, singing the blues songs of the era.
Black Tuesday rains down on the star crossed lovers. They both lose their jobs. Katrina, on her own and malnourished, makes several unfortunate choices she will live to regret. The times and conditions are deplorable. She is swept away and finds herself living with a philandering husband in Iowa. After divorce, she returns to New York with her four year old daughter in hopes that John Donovan will keep his promise.
