Anne Berger, housewife and mother of two children, enjoys a comfortable existence - but just before a family holiday on Sylt which everybody has been looking forward to she discovers that her husband Ralf is having an affair. Anne is shock to, and on the spur of the moment she decides to go to the island with the children, abandoning her husband. In an attempt to make sure he doesn't find them she checks into a charming but rather neglected boarding house instead of the luxury hotel they had planned. The boarding house is run by the likeable and determined Granny Lina. Over the next few days both Anne and Ralf, who has followed her to the island, go through a turbulent time. Anne almost has an accident, which is how she meets the fishermen Jan. At first the two of them argue like cat and dog - but gradually things change and they becoming increasingly close. Apart from anything else, Jan is the son of the landlady, so they can hardly avoid each other. Meanwhile Ralf is searching the whole island for his wife and children, and when he finally discovers where Anne is staying he sets about trying to win her back. But Anne, who by now experiences far stronger feelings for Jan, is faced with an agonizing decision: should she stand by her husband, or should she choose a completely new and completely different life?