An action-packed story of courage and sacrifice in war-torn Italy. In Autumn 1939, the Italian population wait to find out whether Mussolini will back Hitler in his bid to conquer Europe. When Count Vincenzo Di Tomasi's teenage son is killed in a street brawl while distributing anti-government leaflets, he sends his English-born wife, Alice, and younger son, Beppe, to England. Appalled by the atrocities being meted out by the fascist blackshirts, Vincenzo joins the Resistance. His life is transformed when he meets and falls in love with partisan member, Livia Carduccio. But their affair is doomed and the price Vincenzo pays for his lover's sake has a far-reaching effect on Beppe.