Against the evanescent backdrop of a small town at the mouth of the Po River, Hassan and Mara are brought together. He is a Tunisian mechanic, who after years of hard work has won esteem and respect, she a young substitute teacher waiting to leave for Brazil to work on a co-op project. Eighteen year-old aspiring journalist Giovanni is more than just a witness to the disturbing relationship that develops between them. After discovering that Hassan spies on her at night, Mara first drives him away then starts dating him. Giovanni also spies on Mara, using his computer skills to crack into her email program and read her messages. Their lives will be turned upside down by unexpected and painful events that change the course of the story.
