“An original setting in the little village of Saint Rhémy, in the heart of mountains in a terrible yet wonderful Aosta Valley.” — Corriere della Sera

“A very modern story with a message for the most romantic souls: falling in love makes us stronger, as long as we have the courage to admit it”. — Donna Moderna

First World War eve, St. Rhémy’s community: Fiamma, red and wild hair, green eyes, bare feet, knows the secrets of plants and how to heal illnesses. That’s why people ask her help but at the same time isolate the girl considering her a witch. Fiamma knows this way what loneliness and cruelty are, but can take a breath thanks to the young Raphaël who has an authentic attraction for the girl. Between Fiamma and Raph (as she calls him) there’s a really deep friendship; Raphael would like to turn it into something more but when he understands that to her he is just a friend, the First World War breaks out and he decides to enlist. He doesn’t know that he’ll never see again his beloved Fiamma and the town of Saint Rhémy.

Yann, Raph’s brother, goes out of his mind; it was supposed to enlist him instead of Raph but, because of his playing up leg, he couldn’t, and he blames himself and Fiamma for his brother’s death. But the truth of the matter is another one: Yann can’t accept the fact that the beautiful girl has been able to catch his heart too. But things unexpectedly changes, a new priest comes from Rome bringing new perspectives of life and conveying the idea of a God like a Father, not a Judge. His arrival is followed by the coming of a Gipsy community, and just when people start to change their mind a terrible avalanche descends on the small town and the community and Yann, above all, understand that Fiamma is the best thing that could happen to them.

Francesca Diotallevi built a graceful writing and powerful novel, which, interchanging ambivalent and real human characters, reflects about the theme of marginalization and paints a realistic and touching portrait of an Italy shocked by war and misery.