In rural China in 1935, a group of women are preyed on by Mongolian bandits, led by Warlord chief Tunga Khan, who have taken over their remote Christian mission post. Dr. Cartwright, played by Anne Bancroft, a confident and self-reliant doctor from Chicago, must navigate her new surroundings and leadership role among the stranded women, including Sue Lyon's Emma Clark, Margaret Leighton's uptight Agatha Andrews, and Mildred Dunnock's timid assistant Jane Argent. As cholera outbreaks and violence threaten their survival, Cartwright's character is put to the test as she struggles with the harsh realities of her situation, while also uncovering secrets about her own past and the true nature of her captors.