A socially awkward young woman from a well-to-do family joins a group of Red Cross volunteers and goes to serve near the trenches during the war. The narrative follows their preparations, voyages, and adjustments as they learn first aid and ambulance work, confront sudden dangers, and undertake duties behind the firing lines. Along the way personal anxieties and family expectations give way to practical courage, unexpected responsibility, and acts that earn recognition. Friendships, tests of character, and encounters with military personnel shape a steady transformation from social failure into capable service.