It is 1963, and as Hurricane Flora is bearing down on Cuba, seven women have been evacuated and herded into the former governor's mansion. As the storm rages, a cigar factory lector named Maria Sirena tells the incredible story of her childhood during Cuba's Third War of Independence; of her father Augustin, a rebel; of her mother, Lulu, who fought and suffered as fiercely as her husband. But stories can take on a life of their own, and Maria will reveal more about herself than anyone ever expected.