London, 1930. Vera lives in poverty with her parents, Ada and Augusto, who are from Trieste and speak just enough English to keep their little grocery going. In search of self, young Vera joins an Italian association that backs Mussolini. But when war breaks out, her hopes are turned upside down. Her father is arrested and jailed. While being shipped off to the Isle of Man, his boat sinks. As Ada desperately waits for her husband’s body, Vera feels torn between her native tongue and that of her adopted country. Speaking English shows her desire to fit in, but isn’t that turning her back on where she comes from?