Buenos Aires, 1955. One of a family of Sicilian immigrants, the adolescent Laura is on the threshold of adulthood. Her father Francesco Lojacono, is a humble tailor whose relationship with his daughter is one of extreme conflict. As Laura becomes increasingly emancipated in Argentinian (and therefore American) fashion, her father feels personally betrayed. He becomes consumed by an irrational jealousy whether Laura spends time in the library or at a party: whether she makes friends with a teacher or collects photographs of popular actors; whether she shows an interest in the cinema or theatre or takes part in political discussions her behavior is a source of great annoyance to her father. The development of an intense intellectual rapport with Dora, a teacher of Italian origins, gives Laura a sense of liberation from her family ties. The period also signals her first experience of love. But her father is suddenly overcome by physical illness. The diagnosis is so grave that the extent of his illness must be kept from him, causing their relationship to rapidly deteriorate with painfully dramatic results.