Narration supplements each woman's first-person recollection of her experiences; childhood photos, contemporary shots of each woman's activities, and background sounds and music enhance the poignancy and inspiration of each woman's story. The profiles include a single mother who overcame a painful divorce and alcoholism to become a committed and effective, albeit poor, parent. An emigrant from Mexico separated from her husband in the United States after 8 years of marriage; handicapped by poverty and meager skills in English speaking and writing, she was successful in her determination to achieve a college education; she now helps other Hispanic women to get a college education. A Vietnamese refugee who arrived in the United States at the age of 15 with her family survived poverty and family turmoil to obtain a college education; she is now a social worker for the Asian community. An African American woman raised in an unstable family and oppressed in an abusive marriage became addicted to cocaine; her thoughts of suicide were changed through the therapy of her art and support from friends, as her life has become drug-free, productive, and fulfilling.