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On the day in 1940 that Italy enters the war, two things happen to the 12-year-
old Renato: he gets his first bike, and he gets his first look at Malena, a
beautiful, silent outsider who's moved to this Sicilian town to be with her
husband Nico who promptly goes off to war, leaving her to the lustful eyes of
the men and the sharp tongues of the women. During the next few years, as
Renato grows toward manhood, he watches Malena suffer and prove
her mettle: her loneliness, then grief when Nico is reported dead, the effects
of slander on her relationship with her father, her poverty and search for
work, and final humiliations. Will Renato learn courage from Malega and
stand up for her?