A man is found on the steps of a Romanian hospital in the early 1950s. His name is unknown as he is deaf and mute and unable to communicate. Then Safta, a young nurse gives him some paper and pencils so he can draw. Slowly, he memories emerge on the page.

The man is Augustin, the son of the cook at the Manor House which was also Safta’s family home. They were born six months apart, and grew up with a connection that surpassed words. Augustin’s world remained the same while Safta’s expanded to encompass new languages, society – and one long, hot summer a fleeting romance

Then the war came followed by Stalin’s brutal regime and nothing could stay the same..