In Love and War

In World War I, the U.S. president sends Red Cross doctors and nurses to Italy to boost morale and aid the wounded. Volunteers drive ambulances and work in front-line canteens, supporting soldiers on the Italian front. This mission sets the stage for Hemingway's wartime experience.

Nineteen-year-old Ernest Hemingway volunteers as an ambulance driver, seeking experiences that could feed his future writing. He throws himself into the danger of the front, hoping to witness history firsthand. These experiences will shape his later storytelling.

During a field rescue, Ernest is shot in the leg while trying to save a companion. He is evacuated to a hospital where doctors begin tending his wounds. The injury marks the end of his time as a frontline soldier and the start of a long recovery.

On the first night in hospital, Ernest becomes delirious from pain and proclaims his love to nurse Agnes von Kurowsky, asking to marry her. The moment reveals his impulsive romanticism and longing for a different life. It foreshadows the complicated romance to come.

As Ernest's health declines, Agnes cares for him, determined to save his leg from possible gangrene. Her professional concern deepens their personal bond and mutual respect. A crucial operation marks a turning point toward his recovery.

Over time they grow attached, though their age difference gives both pause. Ernest opens up about his hopes, while Agnes offers kindness that deepens their connection. The budding romance sits against the war that still surrounds them.

Agnes and other nurses are moved closer to the front, cutting their time with Ernest short. Unable to tell him in person that she must leave, she asks a friend to deliver the news in a letter. The separation tests their fragile relationship.

Ernest learns of Agnes's departure through a letter while he remains on the front, and Agnes receives a letter from him describing how much he misses her. The exchanges underscore the strain of distance on their bond. Their communication becomes a lifeline that cannot bridge the growing gulf.

Ernest finally visits Agnes, confessing his love and announcing orders to return to the United States. They plan to spend their remaining time together at a nearby hotel and promise to exchange daily letters until they can marry. The moment crystallizes their hopes despite looming separation.

Back in Italy, Agnes joins a friend for a weekend at Dr. Domenico Caracciolo's home, where the three of them explore Venice and its surroundings. The trip reveals competing affections and unsettled loyalties. Ernest's optimistic plans begin to crack under the weight of circumstance.

Upon returning, Agnes faces Domenico's proposal. She hesitates, still thinking of Ernest, and ultimately writes to him to end their affair. Her decision is driven in part by the age difference and a sense of an unfulfilled future. The emotional wound closes this chapter.

Eight months later, in New York, Agnes meets an old friend and ex-patient and reveals that she did not marry the doctor. She learns that Ernest remains angry about their separation. The encounter emphasizes how pride and unmet expectations shape their destinies.

To seek closure, Agnes travels to Ernest's family cabin on Walloon Lake. Ernest remains angry and proud, unwilling to accept her love. The distance between them hardens into an unbridgeable gulf.

In the final moment, Agnes tells Ernest that she loves him as she leaves the Walloon Lake cabin. He does not accept her love, and she departs for good, ending their tumultuous relationship.