The film tells episodes in the life of seventeen-old Gongia in 1920s Albany that lead her to the decision of becoming a nun under the name of sister Teresa.

Mario Ferrara Villalta, a nobleman, does not realize that Nino Esposito is secretly a confidant of Don Alfredo Spinosa, a boss of the Camorra , and Roberto's father, his classmate, and appointed him as secretary, unaware of reports of the young with the underworld. Being a close friend of Roberto, Nino agrees to accompany him to a party held in the luxurious villa owned by a girl named Claudia Vieri, daughter of an industrialist friend of Roberto's father.

After the Allies liberate Naples in 1943, life for the locals is not much easier, especially for women. Many sacrifice their dignity and morale to survive.