Salvo Vigali, a nenowned Italian author, has spent the past three years in Florida, yet he still hasnt managed to learn even the basics of English. Despite his literary acclaim, hes chosen to disappear into a shabby motel, letting himself fade as he waits for someone he cant seem to release from his heart. He aches for Sicily, and that longing sharpens when he meets Ben, a scrappy motel cleaner whose thick Sicilian accent feels like a lifeline to the home Salvo misses. Drawn to that sense of belonging, Salvo soon hires Ben to be both his assistant and his English tutor, setting the stage for an unexpected bond between them.