Clio Lambert's first encounter with bestselling author Paul Costello is not an auspicious one. He seems an arrogant, demanding man, used to getting his own way. But when he offers her a job as his editorial assistant, working on a book about Italy during the Second World War, Clio cannot resist, for it will entail a prolonged stay in Rome. With no dependents other than three elderly relatives living in the cathedral town of Wells, it seems an offer too good to refuse. Comfortably ensconced in a small pensione, Clio prepares to enjoy her Roman spring. Though Costello's extended Italian family are not unanimously welcoming, she is befriended by his cousin Luigi di Palma, who takes it upon himself to show her the city's sights. But as Clio and Paul start to delve deeper into the history of Italy's Partisans - and the role of the di Palma family during that painful period of its history - it becomes clear that her job will be much more challenging, and more personal, than she had ever anticipated.