Madrid,late19thcentury.Thecityhasgrownatadizzyingpaceinrecentdecades,andthousandsofyoungwomenhavecometothecapitalseekingawaytosupporttheirfamilies.Butthepathisfraughtwithdanger,andmanyhavefallenintonetworksofexploitationandwhiteslavery.MaríaAnaAllsopp,ayoungwomanfromhighsociety,isdeeplymovedbytheplightofthesewomenforcedtoselltheirbodiesonthestreets.TogetherwithFatherFranciscoofAsísMéndez,shefoundsanewcongregation:ahousewhosedoorsremainopendayandnight,asaferefugeforsomanyabandonedwomen.Yetthreatsfromtheoutsidesoonloomoverthisdeterminedgroupofwomenwhose\"madness\"istosaveandrestorethedignityofallthosewhohavelostit.