Historical biography of an Italian-American family. Young Salvatore Ciccone leaves Pacentro, Italy in 1902 to come to work in the mines of Colorado where he meets and marries Maria Grosso. When things go horribly wrong with the Starkville mines, they move to Aliquippa, Pennsylvania, where he works in the steel mills. Together they raise five children and create community despite hardship, making their own private paradise. It's a family saga and an American story of immigration and assimilation where individuality and character are not lost.