In 1895, in the troubled island of Cuba, Spain's richest and most prized colony, war is about to break out. Cuban patriots have called for an all-out insurrection to end Spain's four centuries of rule. On a farm in the central province of Las Villas, María Teresa Velázquez approaches her nineteenth birthday celebration yearning for a new life. Her life changes dramatically when the war begins, as she and her family are herded by orders of the ruthless Spanish Captain General, Valeriano Weyler, into filthy military concentration camps where thousands will die. After a violent confrontation with a lecherous Spanish officer in the camp who tries to rape her, Maria Teresa runs and becomes a fugitive. She finds sanctuary in the home of a patriot family where, unsuspecting, lurks an even greater danger that will threaten the very core of her existence. In Havana, Francisco 'Paco' Borrell, the eldest son of an old established Havana family, struggles to find a career path in the uncertainty of the looming war. At first, he hesitates to join the insurrection. However, the top agent of the Havana rebel underground, aware of his patriotic sympathies, persuades him to deliver a secret message to the underground agent in Cienfuegos. The critical mission could either get him garroted for treason, or, if successful, could change the course of the war. The fast-moving story will bring María Teresa and Paco together as they forge a powerful bond that will sustain them through the war and beyond.