A group of friends come of age during the political turmoil that plagued Brazil in the 1960's and 70's. Together, these musicians form a band called "Os Desafinados" and become a part of the groundbreaking Brazilian musical movement called Bossa Nova

In a secluded village in the French Pyrenees, American writer Olivia returns to her family’s ancestral home – where her grandmother fled Paris during the Nazi invasion in World War II – seeking material for a long-stalled novel. There she encounters Madeline, a talented local woman whose ingenuity and spirit echo memories of her grandmother. As Olivia incorporates details from Madeline’s life into her fictional narrative, three storylines intersect: her grandmother’s past, her novel and Olivia’s present-day experiences.