Romania after the fall of the dictator. Emma, a thirteen-year-old orphan, grows up in a boarding school. Her parents are said to have died in a car accident. One day, an unknown woman appears, claiming to be her grandmother. Reluctantly, Emma follows her to a strange city. At school, Emma is not only teased but also threatened, as her grandmother is considered a spy and mentally ill. Brave, she endures the torment, but at the same time, distrust towards the old woman grows. When she defies the prohibition against entering the wooden shed in the garden, she makes a disturbing discovery. The story that begins now pulls the ground from under Emma's feet: piece by piece, the truth about her family comes to light - and about a society in which the violent end of many of its citizens has never been pursued. The courageous heroine of this coming-of-age novel.