Krotoa, an 11-year-old girl, is taken from her Khoi tribe to serve Jan van Riebeeck, a Dutch trading partner. She grows into a visionary young woman, mastering the Dutch language and culture, and becomes a powerful interpreter for van Riebeeck, the first Governor of the Cape Colony. However, Krotoa's attempts to bridge the gap between her two cultures ultimately lead to her rejection by her own people and destruction at the hands of the Dutch.