The gold rush spirit still prevails in California when 17-year-old Maud Parris marries in San Francisco in 1895—and instantly regrets it. Because there were no freedoms for ordinary women in San Francisco. The young woman with a strong desire for freedom leaves her husband, grabs a banjo, and travels with light luggage and a little money in her pocket from Seattle to Alaska. There, she quickly joins the players and speculators who embody her dream of adventure. Get your gun, Maud! She becomes one of them, earning her living through playing and dancing. When she has saved enough, she continues her journey. Later, during a longer stay in Beijing, she establishes herself as a businesswoman and opens a gaming parlor, the profits of which allow her to do what she loves most: travel to foreign, mysterious places.