Boasting a notorious thief as one of their ancestors, the Scorta family are met by diffidence and general opprobrium in the small town of Montepuccio where they live and die in extreme poverty, able only to pass on, from one generation to the next, a modest heritage of traditional values, cherished memories and nuggets of wisdom. Set against the glorious landscapes and scents of southern Italy, this novel - seen through the lucid gaze and told by the lulling voice of old Carmela - demonstrates how, in the face of testing circumstances, a family can find pride in its roots and discover happiness on earth.