When her father is called to military service, Sara Crewe is sent to an exclusive boarding school in New York. Miss Minchin, the headmistress, does not like Sara's imaginative stories or her attitude and when Sara's father is reported killed in battle, she moves Sara out of her room, strips her of all her possessions and makes her work as a servant. However, with courage, imagination and kindness, Sara overcomes the hardships that come her way.