1953. Roya, a dreamy, idealistic teenager living in Tehran, loves nothing better than to while away the hours in the local stationery shop run by the kindly Mr. Fakhri. His store, stocked with fountain pens, shiny ink bottles, and thick pads of writing paper, also carries Persian classics and poetry and translations of literature from all over the world. In its dusty back rooms, Roya feels safe. And when fatherly Mr. Fakhri, with his keen instinct for a budding romance, introduces her to his other favorite customer -- handsome Bahman, with his burning passion for justice and a shared love for Rumi's poetry -- Roya loses her heart at once. Their courtship continues while dining in the chic cafes of Tehran, watching films at the Cinema Metropole, dancing at tango parties with friends in a time of social liberation, and participating in electrifying political rallies in support of the Prime Minister. But the modest little stationery shop remains their favorite, secret place.