In1858,intheJewishquarterofBologna,thePope'ssoldiersburstintothehomeoftheMortarafamily.Byorderofthecardinal,theyhavecometotakeEdgardo,theirseven-year-oldson.Thechildhadbeensecretlybaptizedbyhisnurseasababyandthepapallawisunquestionable:hemustreceiveaCatholiceducation.Edgardo'sparents,distraught,willdoanythingtogettheirsonback.SupportedbypublicopinionandtheinternationalJewishcommunity,theMortaras'strugglequicklytakeapoliticaldimension.ButtheChurchandthePopewillnotagreetoreturnthechild,toconsolidateanincreasinglywaveringpower…