Martina’s born into a large, poor, noisy family living in a small terraced house just below the piazza in Santa Zita. Her best friend is Irena. They talk about everything together. Martina’s beautiful, challenging, bold and competitive. She’ll never give up or resist a dare. But she’s also impatient and has a tendency to mock people weaker than herself. The only boy who can keep up with her is Gianni, the boy from Villa Leonida.
As a child Martina goes to the villa with her mother who makes clothes for Elena, the owner and is entranced by the house. She imagines herself living there and being part of that lifestyle.
But later when she’s married Gianni she finds she’s been deceived about many things and living at Villa Leonida is not what she thought it would be.
When war breaks out and Gianni goes to fight she finds herself living with people she doesn’t like and who never wanted her there but she can’t leave because she’s having a baby and where else could she go? She lives for those moments she can escape and chat to Irena who’s the only person she feels can keep her sane.
But Irena can be judgemental and sometimes says things Martina would rather not hear.
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