During the tumultuous year of 1938, <u>Carol</u>, a young girl just 12 years old, and her mother, <u>Aurora</u>, visit their ancestral hometown in Spain amidst the chaos of the Civil War. For Carol, this trip marks her very first experience in the country of her heritage, as she's been raised in New York, a city far removed from the conflicts happening abroad. Her father, <u>Robert</u>, is fighting on the frontlines as a pilot with the International Brigade, and he communicates with his wife and daughter through handwritten letters, which are secretly delivered by a Portuguese smuggler amid the dangers of wartime.
Aurora's family belongs to the middle class and holds conservative values, which sharply contrast with Aurora and Carol’s more liberal American customs. This cultural clash creates tension within the community, especially with the Catholic clergy, who view Aurora's modern views with suspicion and disapproval. During a visit to her former teacher and closest friend, <u>Maruja</u>, Aurora confesses her grave illness, revealing that she has come back to her hometown primarily to spend her final days with family and to say her goodbyes. Her deteriorating health soon confirms that her presence in Spain is likely temporary, and after her passing, Carol faces the painful reality of her mother's death.
Devastated by her mother’s passing, Carol makes a heartfelt plea to her grandfather, <u>Don Amalio</u>, to keep her mother’s illness a secret from her father, so as not to burden him further with worry. To maintain her mother's memory and keep her father's spirits intact, Carol persuades <u>Maruja</u> to continue writing letters to Robert in Aurora’s name, helping her father believe that his wife is still alive and well back in Spain. Following her mother's death, Carol moves in with her aunt <u>Dolores</u> and her cousin <u>Blanca</u>, and begins to forge bonds with local children, including a young boy named <u>Tomiche</u>, with whom she develops a romantic affection.
As the war's tide turns and Madrid falls to the Republican forces, the political climate becomes even more dangerous. Don Amalio, who secretly supports the Republican cause, is forced to destroy his collection of pro-Republican books to hide his beliefs from the family, who are largely supportive of General Franco. During this period, her father, <u>Robert</u>, manages to sneak back into town, bringing a surge of joy to Carol. However, her happiness is cut short when the authorities search Don Amalio’s house for any sign of Republican sympathies. In a tragic turn of events during the chaos, Tomiche, whom Carol had wanted her father to meet, is accidentally shot and killed—an event that forever changes the lives of everyone involved.
In the heart-wrenching epilogue, Carol departs from Spain and returns to New York, where she is placed under the care of her paternal grandparents. Don Amalio expresses hope that her father, now a prisoner, will face only a short incarceration, thanks to his U.S. citizenship and the influence of American diplomacy. As Carol heads to the port for her journey home, her friends—riding bicycles—race to say farewell, and she quietly imagines Tomiche among them, saying goodbye in her heart, symbolizing the innocence and loss she experienced during her childhood in war-torn Spain.
