Maria Lagana is an Italian immigrant working for one of the owners of Mercury Pictures during the 1940’s. She arrived in Hollywood with her mother and her three eccentric aunts. For a while she receives censored letters from her father who is still in Italy, but eventually she hears nothing from him. When Pearl Harbor is bombed, Mercury Pictures must change the type of movies it produces, and Maria and a group working for the company are forced to adapt.

There’s a lot going on in Mercury Pictures Presents. Marra introduces many characters, several subplots and a variety of settings. However, if you are willing to take your time, concentrate and read it through to the end, it is definitely worth the effort.