A young widow confronts her own tragic past by experiencing life through the eyes of an ancient Roman woman who died in the Vesuvius eruption.
Anne is still grieving for her husband and son when the disturbing dreams begin. A devout Catholic, Anne seeks refuge in a convent, but even there the dreams pursue her until she is finally asked to leave. Alone and adrift, Anne travels to Italy in hopes of recovering her flagging faith. This search leads her to the ruins of Herculaneum, a Roman town that died in the eruption of Vesuvius in 79 AD.
There Anne’s dreams and visions intensify, especially after a young archeologist shows her the skeletons in a newly discovered portion of Herculaneum’s ancient beachfront. There is strong potential for a relationship with this man, but Anne is too deeply damaged for intimacy.
Meanwhile Anne's alter ego, an ancient Roman woman named Daphne, begins to emerge. Through Daphne, Anne re-lives the events leading up to the eruption and experiences the Dionysian passions that drive this woman to her agonized death. At the same time, Daphne begins to catch flashes of Anne’s memories.
As the end nears, the two women -- polar opposites in temperament and separated by the centuries, but linked by a shared tragedy -- reach out to each other. Each, in her own way, is healed.