Celestina, an orphan, has already seen her older sister Agnese leave for distant America with the Yankee who promised to marry her.

The only friend she has left is Carmine, a boy slightly older than her, who survives on odd jobs in the streets of Naples.

Carmine meets George, a towering African American cook working on a U.S. Navy ship.

Carmine and Celestina end up on that ship bound for New York, where the girl hopes to reunite with her sister.

This sets them on a series of adventures involving the ship's purser, Domenico Garofalo, a kind-hearted yet gruff figure reminiscent of Mangiafuoco.