After the death of her widowed mother in 1914, Marguerite Selena, 15, chooses to live in Naples with her wealthy guardian over village life with a tyrant brother. Events during the war begin a constant struggle of survival without family and money. Fluent in English, she finds work in the office building leased by the American Army as Italian interpreter for Captain Keith Fields who hates anything Italian, especially Italian women. Then, he meets Marguerite. In spite of the obstacles, they marry.