In a provincial Italian town in 1971, Anna, a beautiful mother of two young children, struggles to provide for her small family after the collapse of her marriage. With no career to fall back upon, she is desperate to find work and a new home. Despite the difficult times, Anna courageously teaches her kids to embrace the small joys of life and never loses her passion and optimistic nature, even after her beloved son ostracizes her. Years later, when she is diagnosed with a terminal disease, both children return to her bedside where following a series of startling revelations, the two finally come to understand their ever-unpredictable mother, their unconventional upbringing and also themselves