In 1904, Emmaline Foster and Michael Reynolds, two British children, are the survivors of a shipwreck in the South Pacific. After days afloat, they are marooning on a lush tropical island in the company of kindly old sailor Paddy Button. Eventually, Paddy dies in a drunken binge, leaving Emmaline and Michael all alone with each other. Together, they survive solely on their resourcefulness and the bounty of their remote paradise.