An earthquake brings a family's secrets to the surface. Within a battered suitcase Marietta has hidden evidence of a painful past. Now her niece Maria, who knew and loved her, is forced to re-evaluate her story. She learns of a family ripped apart through ideological differences during the Second World War; and her aunt's personal tragedy as she loves and loses three men. The fate of two is revealed in the memoirs, but the third, whose life is intertwined with Maria's own, remains a mystery. Maria seeks the truth and on her journey discovers much about the frailties of life and relationships but ultimately receives a gift she longs for.