How can one forget growing up in Tuscany? Even a war could not prevail against the magic of that magic place. But the world of the 1940s and 1950s is now beyond most people's recall.

In those days the charisma of a dictator seduced many young people; they believed his words and tried to obey him. They did not realize that the events would turn out to be much more complex and cruel than they were told. WWII raged in the world, political realities were harsh, and traditional Italian culture was radically transformed.

Young people had to choose sides often without understanding what was at stake. Some were destroyed by the experience but some managed to move on and start to follow their own paths.

The protagonist of this story is a witness to her world's transformation. She knows hardship, betrayal and loneliness. But the beauty of Tuscany and her search for truth helps her to live, learn, overcome indoctrination and find her way to independence.

Telling one individual's story is a homage to all the young people who, in all places and times, under extreme circumstances, discover the mystery that lies at the heart of our lives, the contradictions in human behavior and the wonders of language.