It is at a pharmaceutical conference in Munich that Max and Katrin meet up again unexpectedly: they lost track of each other 15 years ago, when Katrin got a job in the pharmaceutical industry instead of adhering to their plans and working as a doctor on the development aid program with Max. These days Max and his friend Sam run a small bush hospital in Africa, while Katrin has a senior position in the pharmaceutical industry. After spending an evening and a night together, however, they both realise beyond any doubt that they have never stopped loving each other.
Katrin never told anyone the real reason for her sudden change of heart: while she was operating on a small boy he died. After this she felt no longer capable of entering an operating theatre. She still has not overcome this trauma, and to this day if she finds it impossible to talk about it. When Max asks her to marry him, half joking, she spontaneously says yes. Max is widowed and has two children, Neo (11) and Lindiwe (7) back in Guguletho, in Namibia. After their wedding Max and Katrin are forced apart again for a few weeks, much to their mutual regret, since she has to sell her apartment and wants to say goodbye to friends and family before moving to Africa.

When Katrin finally arrives in Namibia she is surprised that there is nobody to pick her up at the airport. She takes a taxi to the bush hospital and is met by Sam, who has terrible news for her. The previous night Max had an accident which killed him immediately. Katrin is thrown into a state of shock, and only after spending several hours watching over the corpse of her dead husband does she fully realise that this is goodbye forever. And yet they were only married for 24 hours. Sam wants to discuss with Katrin the fate of the two children: tomorrow Neo and Lindiwe will return from school camp. After a sleepless night Katrin resolves to remain here for the time being, and to adopt Max's children: it was his most fervent wish that they would be a family together.
However, Neo and Lindiwe do not make it easy for Katrin to get close to them. In his grief the 11-year-old Neo in particular holds Katrin responsible for the death of his father. The children are only prepared to accept comfort and shelter from Makhulu, an African sangoma - a practitioner of traditional herbal medicine - who is like a grandmother to them. Katrin quickly gets the feeling that there is little she can do here and is tempted to give up and return to Berlin. However, she decides to stay in Guguletho and fight for the love of Max’s children.
Sam asks Katrin to help out in the hospital until he finds a doctor who can take over Max's duties. Feeling awkward and unsure of herself, Katrin starts work. She finds that dealing with people is an increasingly rewarding experience for her - but she still finds herself unable to enter an operating theatre. Slowly the children also cease to reject her. They come to share their grief and pain with one another. Katrin does all she can to give them both a secure home while also bringing some happiness back into their lives. At the same time, she doesn't know how all this will continue. When she fails to save an injured man in the hospital because she in unable to operate on him, she decides to return to Germany with Neo and Lindiwe. But the children don't want to leave: Africa is their home. They begin to feel Katrin has betrayed them and announce that they wish to stay with Makhulu. The wise African woman tells Katrin to her face that she is afraid... and that she must overcome her fear.
A dramatic climax is reached when Neo suddenly develops a high fever and complains of terrible stomach pains. Katrin diagnoses acute appendicitis - which means that the boy's only chance of survival is if he undergoes an immediate operation. But Katrin is all alone in the hospital. With the assistance of Makhulu she overcomes her trauma and saves the boy's life. When the operation has been concluded Katrin collapses, unconscious. When she comes round Sam congratulates her and begs her to remain here as a doctor, continuing Max’s life's work in the bush hospital.