As the Canadian 4th Armoured Division fought its way through Italy, its soldiers experienced some of the most intense fighting of the war. But when they found a five-year-old Italian orphan near the ruins of Frosinone, they opened their hearts and made him one of their own.

"Gino," the orphaned boy, lived with the Canadian soldiers who adopted him as they continued to fight their way northward. Their struggle to care for him, and his struggle to find a family, illustrate the best aspects of human nature, even amidst the brutality of war.

Post-war researchers, both Italian and Canadian, have unearthed a treasure trove of details about Gino and the soldiers who cared for him. Working with Gino, they also uncovered his whole story, from his birth to the amazing life he lived after the war.