In this World War II story, Giovanna "Gianna" Bertola comes of age in wartime Torino, Italy. Where air raids and Fascist rule keep ordinary lives suspended in fear. As her father and his allies are drawn deeper into the anti-fascist resistance, Gianna follows - driven by conviction, love, and a growing sense of purpose. Under the code name "Mimosa," she becomes a courier, or staffetta, carrying messages, weapons, and supplies with false papers under the cover of everyday errands. Still a teenager, she faces the constant danger from Nazi and Fascist forces, while witnessing the brutality of war unfold in her own hometown.
Decades later, in 1993, Gianna now lives in Santa Barbara. While mourning the death of her best friend, Anna, she is preparing to leave for New York in search of a new beginning. News coverage of the war in Bosnia breaks through the walls she built around her past. Forcing her to confront the memories of her life in Torino. Gianna's journey is one of courage, sacrifice, and awakening as she risks everything for freedom.
