It’s early summer 1862. The unification of Italy is in its infancy, social unrest is rampant, and the peasantry is mired in poverty. Dino Renzo, 14, is no stranger to hardship. His family survives on the crops they grow and a herd of 10 sheep that graze on Pasture 29 in the plains of the Apennine hills of Abruzzo. It’s Dino’s job to look after the flock.Dino is forced off the pasture by Giuseppe Columbo, a ruthless sheep owner who claims he has acquired sole rights to the grassy meadow. Without access to the land, the Renzos will have to dip into their livestock feed reserved for the coming winter. The animals are doomed to eventual starvation.Dino takes a job on the 'transumanza' the seasonal migration of shepherds and thousands of animals from Abruzzo to Puglia in the fall and back again in the spring. To save the family’s sheep, he secretly brings along his herd. But the plan falls apart when his sheep end up in the hands of a band of robbers that roam the hills of Abruzzo. He also learns that Columbo’s lease on Pasture 29 is a sham. So begins Dino’s mission to make Columbo pay for what he did. But it’s chillingly clear he’s no match for a mean and wealthy gent with friends in high places. The boy turns to an improbable source for help.