Carmela DeMitri’s struggle to survive brings 1917 and the World War in the Italian Alps to life. In search of her great love, she sails to Italy from New York, but discovers that the Alpini have shanghaied him. Close to exhaustion, Carmela finds Ben sitting in the rubble of a avalanche on an icy 10,000-foot mountain. She vows never to touch another gun after killing several men, but she has to when they’re attacked by an Alpini soldier who intends to rape her and murder Ben.