We are in an idyllic village on a small Greek isle, before WWII kicks in. Through the eyes of a Doctor and his daughter, we meet the characters of the island and feel like locals. When the Italians come, it isn't as bad as it might be, the daughter falls into a love she really doesn't want to, and life starts to get complicated. But then the Germans come, the atrocities of the war come too, and the resulting mix of nobility and horror are quite moving.

The english is magnificent, but the story is only good, and if you're not in the mood for frank exposition of the physical and psychological horrors of war, it can get unpleasant.