In 18th-century Sicily, deaf-mute highborn Marianna Ucrìa is forced to marry at age 13, bearing three children before even turning 16, when she finally gives birth to a boy. Despite everything, she'll find a way to emancipate herself from the oppressive social conventions of the time.

Life on the island of Pantelleria is becoming more difficult by the day. The ferries to the Sicilian mainland have problems running on time because of a strong wind that rises up with no warning, leaving havoc and ruin in its wake. Michele Giangrande is a rich landowner who lives in Palermo.