The Burning Shore

France, 1915. Young and radiantly beautiful Centaine de Thiry is the happiest woman in the world: in a few more hours she will be married to pilot Michael Courteney, the love of her life. But fate has it otherwise: Michael is shot down in a reconnaissance plane shortly before his wedding. Life has lost its meaning for Centaine. When the young woman realizes soon afterwards that she is expecting a baby, her zest for live is revived. She decides to give birth to the child in South Africa, the home country of her deceased fiancé. She starts on her long voyage, planning to stay with an uncle. However, Centaine's boat is attacked and sunk by a submarine. She uses all her strength to cling to a gangplank. Many hours later, she is washed ashore on the African coast suffering from hypothermia and exhaustion. Soon after, Hani and Owi, an old native couple, find her. The old people look after Centaine lovingly and care for her until she has completely recovered. The two Africans and the young European woman have a feeling of strong affection for each other. When the birth of her child is due, the couple take Centaine to a Holy Mountain inside which Centaine is delivered of Shasa, a healthy boy. While Centaine is recovering inside the mountain and her foster parents are looking for food, she makes a little necklace of multi-coloured stones as a gift for Hani to thank her for all the love and care she has given to Centaine. A knife which she could save from shipwreck serves her as a present for Owi. In the meantime, Sir Garrick Courteney, the late Michael's uncle, has started a thorough search operation, promising a big reward to anyone who would locate Centaine. Lothar de la Rey, a shady character and adventurer, has also heard about this reward. He roams about the bush with a bunch of criminals. Lothar makes Sir Garrick promise him that he and his men would be granted amnesty if he were to find Centaine, and so he sets out to look for her. Centaine has meanwhile decided to return to civilisation. As she knows that this farewell would break the old couple's heart, she leaves Hani and Owi secretly at night. Centaine struggles through the rough wilderness with her little son. When a lion suddenly jumps at her, Centaine's fate seems to be sealed. At the very last minute Lothar, who had tracted her, comes to her rescue. Centaine falls in love at first sight with her charming, good-looking rescuer. A passionate love affair takes its course in the picturesque scenery of th